


Burnt Down To Ashes

by strawberry_tiger



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Set in the real world, Slow Burn, but with zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:54:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 44,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25631632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberry_tiger/pseuds/strawberry_tiger
Summary: Just what happens when nine girls find themselves barricaded in a building, with nothing but each other, while the world outside crashes and burns.orA TWICE zombie apocalypse scenario, in which everything starts out gently enough, only to turn to chaos and madness real quick.
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Yoo Jeongyeon, Kim Dahyun/Minatozaki Sana, Minatozaki Sana/Park Jisoo | Jihyo, Myoui Mina/Son Chaeyoung
Comments: 217
Kudos: 470





	1. February 16, 2020 - Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, Rin here.
> 
> It's been a while since I started this fic, and I am so grateful and appreciative for all the positive reactions I have recieved so far ❤️
> 
> Going back to this first chapter, ugh there's a lot I would change! If you're a new reader stumbling on this fic for the very first time, let me tell you: it gets better after the first few chapters lol I promise 😂
> 
> Anyway, a big thank you to all the kind people here on AO3. I'm having a lot of fun with this story ❤️
> 
> Also! Go and follow me on Twitter, I make fanarts 👀 @strawberry_tigr
> 
> See you
> 
> Rin

It happened when they were doing their daily vocal practice, on the third floor of the JYP building. Half of them were in the big recording studio, splayed on the leather couch, having finished early. The others were practising on their own, each in one of the small soundproof rooms that lined the corridor from the recording studio to the gym.

It started with one of the managers barging into the studio in a cold sweat, urging them to stay there and keep calm. It progressed to them banging frantically on the small soundproof rooms to alert the others, who were still oblivious to what was happening, while also phoning anyone they could think of to make sure they were ok.

Four hours later the girls were all barricaded in the recording studio, door locked, faces pressed to the window, as they watched in horror the mayhem that was unfolding in the streets below them. That's when they also witnessed their manager getting torn into pieces by a mob of feral zombies, blood splatters reaching as high as the second floor windows.

Five hours later, they were all crying and hugging each other, as the night fell and the power was cut off the building, leaving them in the dark, shaking in fear and cold.

\----------

The following days went by in a haze. After the initial shock, each of the girls had her own reaction to the new situation. Momo and Tzuyu went into a state of apathy for three days, completely overwhelmed, unable to speak or move at all, with Jeongyeon doing her best to comfort both of them. Dahyun cried for 48 hours straight, having terrible nightmares and waking up in tears to snuggle up in Sana's arms, who was also having trouble keeping her tears at bay most of the time.

Nayeon was restless, pacing up and down the room like an animal in a cage, fidgeting with her fingers, looking as pale and jittery as one of the zombies. Jihyo and Chaeyoung were having trouble processing what was happening, but their focus was all taken up by Mina, who was by far having the worst reaction of them all. She spent the first day having the worst panic attacks of her life, grasping Chaeyoung's arms for dear life as the younger tried her best to calm her down, while tears streamed down her face and her throat burned. Nothing seemed to be able to help, and the following four days were all spent going through wave after wave of sheer panic, leaving Mina shaky, teary eyed and exhausted most of the time.

\----------

Despite everything, they were able to arrange a sort of decent accommodation in the studio.

After Jihyo and Jeongyeon gathered the courage to exit the room and look around, finding that the entire third floor was in fact empty, the girls were quick to lock all the doors that connected the floor to the staircase, effectively sealing it and making sure that nothing could get in. They were then able to freely roam the space, use the restroom, and eat something from the small food court that was situated right next to the gym.

They had most of what they needed there, really. The recording studio was a big enough room for all of them to gather together somewhat comfortably, the food court had enough food and water supplies to keep them fed for at least a couple weeks, and the restroom was big and even had a couple of showers they could use. As for the gym and the tiny soundproof rooms (there were eight of them), they weren't of much use. There were a few couches scattered around the small rooms however, and Sana had the brilliant idea of tearing out the cushions from each of them, bringing them all in the studio to create a sort of big shared bed for everyone on the floor. It wasn't the prettiest but it worked. Since the power was cut out, the heating wasn't working and at night the room would get really cold. The makeshift bed did a good enough job at shielding them from the cold and hard marble floor, while their long coats were decent substitutes for duvets.

\----------

At first their phones were all working. As soon as things started getting crazy, the girls were able to contact most of their family members to make sure they were safe and taking shelter. A few of their calls were not answered however, if not by the monotone voicemail politely requesting them to leave a message. So as strong as the relief of knowing that their loved ones were safe was, the dread of not being able to contact some of them was way stronger. Attempts to contact the police, the fire brigade, or any form of authority were all unsuccessful; the lines were jammed.

Soon they all started receiving alert messages from the government, urging all citizens to lock themselves in a safe place. The messages became more and more frequent, reporting of an unknown virus that was causing people to lose their sanity, while developing an unexplained hunger for human flesh. Yeah, they could have just called them zombies, no need to sugar coat it.

The only remotely useful message they received was the one that stated the government was sending army squads all over the Country to contain the spread of the virus, arranging guarded refugee camps for those who had to flee their home. After that, everything went silent. No signal. No internet. No way of contacting anybody, no way to know more about what was going on.

So they decided to turn all their phones off, to save battery life since they had no electricity; only one of them was kept on at a time, to make sure that, in case of new messages, they would be immediately aware.

\----------

Most of the knowledge they were able to gather about the newly born creatures, or well, zombies, came from the big window of the recording studio, from which they observed life (and death) go on in the city below.

The first 24 hours were absolute hell. Hordes of zombies were running around everywhere, people were driving around in cars and motorcycles, trying to get away from the mayhem around them. Those who didn't have a mean of transportation were left to run for their lives, only to be cornered and ripped to shreds by hundreds of ravenous zombies. The screams were so loud they could be heard even from where the girls were, despite the studio being soundproof.

Dead bodies were slowly piling up in the streets and blood was everywhere, on the road, on the buildings, on cars and trees, everywhere. It was carnage. Some of the bodies stood up after a few hours, eyes hollow and dark, to join the parade of zombies that was making its way into the city. Others didn't get up, and were left to rot where they were.

As the first wave of madness finally subsided, the city was left unrecognisable. No one was around, no vehicles were circulating, and the only movement that could be seen belonged to the ungodly creatures that were now claiming the territory as their own.

The girls were able to take a good look at them, as they aimlessly wandered around, stumbling, limping, leaving a trail of blood and God knows what else behind them. They were slow and clumsy for the most part, but as soon as an unlucky human was targeted they turned into the most feral and vicious creatures, running at incredible speed, mouths wide open, ready to feast.

They didn't seem smart enough to open doors though, or at least not those where you had to pull instead of push, which was something. They didn't use tools either, not that they needed any.

One day the girls watched from their safe place as a couple of survivors were cautiously making their way through the street below, probably aiming to reach the small convenience store a few blocks away. They proceeded slowly, hiding behind cars and buildings, trying to avoid being seen by the zombies that were prowling around. The girls kept watching as the two men were chased and immediately surrounded by a mob of hungry creatures (which made a quick work of splattering their insides all over the street), after accidentally dropping a phone and blowing their hideout.

So they could hear sounds. Noted.

\----------

That's how the girls spent their first days. Relatively safe, but very much worried about what would happen next. Most of them were back to their normal selves fairly quickly, normal for that unusual situation, that is. Eating, sleeping, trying to cheer each other up despite the tension.

Mina and Momo however, were not.

Mina's anxiety had skyrocketed since the very beginning, preventing her from sleeping, eating and mostly even drinking. Her hands were constantly shaking, and her head was all but filled with dreadful thoughts and a whirlpool of panic. Her meds, which she was taking daily, were not even remotely enough to deal with the current situation, being practically ineffective against her persistent panic attacks.

Momo on the other hand, was worried. Worried about the one person she was not able to contact when the phone lines were still active. The one man that had been there for her ever since they first met many years earlier, the man that had always offered her his best advice, the man that she now wished were right next to her whispering reassuring words and holding her hand. Her boyfriend, Heechul. As she came out of her initial shock-induced haze, she all but sank deep into her own mind, in a dark and heavy place that nobody around her could reach. She became sullen, and dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little introduction to the madness that is going to follow.
> 
> Coming next: some things need to be done, and Chaeyoung knows it.


	2. February 25, 2020 - Day 9 (part 1)

"We need to get out and find a pharmacy." everyone turned around to look at Chaeyoung, who had spoken calmly from her spot next to the couch.

"What?" Jeongyeon and Nayeon asked at the same time.

"Mina's out of her meds. Today is covered but that's it, there's no more left." Chaeyoung turned to look at Mina, who was sitting on the floor next to her, head resting on her shoulder. She looked absolutely miserable, with dark circles around her eyes and impossibly pale skin. She was about to say something, but Chaeyoung gently placed a hand on her arm, as to tell her that it was all ok. Mina had no strength left to argue against the younger's concerns, so that was all it took to erase any will to protest.

"There's no way we're leaving this place, Chaeyoung-ah." Jihyo said firmly. Yeah. They all saw what happened to their manager, right across the main entrance of the JYP building.

"We have to. Mina needs her medication. Look at her, she pretty much hasn't slept since we barricaded here. It's been eight days."

Momo, who was sitting on the other side of Mina, slowly nodded in agreement.

"None of us has been sleeping. We're all on edge, and tired." Jihyo sighed.

"I get what you mean, but Chaeng is right." Nayeon stood up and walked up to Jihyo, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Mina's been taking this really badly. She's not even eating properly. She does need her meds."

Jihyo moved away from Nayeon's touch, getting up as well.

"What about _my_ meds then? I haven't had any from the very beginning, but I've just been dealing with it." the room fell silent. "It's not something worth risking our lives for!"

Tension slowly filled the room. Both Chaeyoung and Sana got up, walking up to face Jihyo and Nayeon.

"So you're saying that Mina should just _deal with it_? Suck it up, and pretend that nothing's happening?" Nayeon was getting progressively louder.

"Unnie, please let's not fight with each other." Sana rubbed her arm soothingly.

"I'm sorry, but I think Jihyo is right." The four girls standing in the middle of the room turned to face Jeongyeon, who was also getting up to join them.

"Are you serious Jeong?" Nayeon's attempts to keep herself calm were all failing, as she felt herself getting progressively angrier.

"I know Mina needs her medication, but being here anxious and depressed" she glanced at Jihyo "as bad as it can be, is still better than being outside... Dead."

"That's what I've been trying to say. Thank you. It's hard for everyone, but it's way too dangerous to leave the building. We're safe here."

"You're talking about this like it's nothing serious. Like it doesn't matter." Chaeyoung spoke calmly. She was never one to start arguments, always trusting her unnies to take the best decision. But from her tone, and Jihyo realized that, it was clear that she had already made up her mind.

"I'm going. You can stay here and argue all you want."

"Chaengie, come on." tried Jeongyeon.

"When you're dealing with this kind of medication, you can't just stop like that. It's not that simple." Nayeon sighed. "Even if Mina decided to just get off her meds, she would need time to slowly decrease her dosage. She can't do it overnight. She's gonna be _sick_. Both mentally and physically" She looked disappointed at the members' lack of understanding, especially Jeongyeon's.

Dahyun and Tzuyu, who had been silently listening to the argument unfold, slowly nodded.

"Nayeon unnie is right. Mina is gonna get worse if we don't help her." Tzuyu said quietly, surprising everyone.

Jihyo looked around the room, taking in the faces of her friends. Despite all her efforts to be a good leader for the group, there was only so much that she could do in such a dire situation. Her urge to keep everyone safe, to make sure that all goes well and her members are well taken care of, was _screaming_ to be loud and harsh, to prevent Chaeyoung from going outside, even if she would end up hating her for it.

But she didn't. Instead, she just nodded quietly and went back to sit where she was before, next to the window. All eyes were on her.

"Just please, think carefully about what you're gonna do. I'm not gonna let you throw yourselves out there without a plan." She looked sad.

Chaeyoung nodded.

"I can use Sana's phone to look up the nearest pharmacy. I'll be quick, less than thirty seconds. Then we can find the shortest way to get there."

\----------

Dahyun got up to fetch a pen and a notebook. Nayeon and Jeongyeon were still arguing, although quietly, in one corner of the room. Momo never left Mina's side, and Sana joined them right after handing her phone to Chaeyoung. Jihyo stayed by herself, looking worriedly out of the window.

The three younger girls gathered together on the floor to go over Chaeyoung's plan once again.

"So, here we have the pharmacy." Dahyun pointed at the small rectangle with a 'p' scribbled in the middle "and here there's us." A bigger rectangle was drawn on the opposite side of the makeshift map, reading 'JYP'.

"Two blocks." Tzuyu looked worried. "It's not exactly close."

"It's the closest, though. It's fine." Chaeyoung's eyes were dark with determination. It was something that needed to be done, so there was no point in wishing things were easier.

"So" Dahyun looked up from the drawing "we know zombies follow sounds, and apparently, vibrations as well. I mean, they are kind of the same thing, but anyway. It's still not clear whether or not they can actually _see_..."

"Or smell. Or maybe perceive heat, like snakes" Chaeyoung added.

"Yup. What's for sure is that if you make a noise while you're out there, they're gonna be after you. So you have to be quiet."

"You also need to dress up. Like, with a thick coat and boots. All the clothes you can wear, really."

"Tzuyu is right. If it comes down to a fight, you need something to protect yourself from being bitten. That would be..." Dahyun stopped to look poignantly at Chaeyoung.

"I know. I'll do all I can to avoid that." The girl reassured, although she was just as worried as her friends. Her turning into one of those... _things_ , was the last thing they needed.

She felt a hand press on her shoulder, so she turned around to find Jeongyeon kneeling next to her.

"So, I'm coming with you." The three girls all raised their eyebrows at the same time.

"I thought you were against this." Chaeyoung said, looking questioningly at the older girl .

"I still kind of am. That's why I'll be there with you, being the awesome hyung that I am, to save your tiny ass from all the zombies." She gave her a lopsided smile, that also contained a little apology. Chaeyoung understood that, and smiled back.

"I might have a tiny ass, but you _are_ an ass, hyung-ah."

At that, they all laughed.

\----------

By the time they were ready to go, the room was once again filled with tension.

Both Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon explained their plan to Jihyo and the rest of the girls, going over every single detail a number of times. As Tzuyu had suggested, they were wearing just about every item of clothing they could carry, including gloves, hats and face masks. Needless to say they were sweating profusely, looking like they would be fit to leave for an expedition to Antarctica. With all those layers however, there was no doubt a zombie would find it extremely difficult to reach their skin with a bite. That helped to reassure Jihyo a bit, even though she was still very nervous.

They had no real weapons, quite hard to find in a recording studio, but Momo was able to provide a couple of wooden staffs after snooping around the small gym at the end of the floor. Definitely too light to cause any real damage, but still better than nothing. They were also carrying one backpack each; whatever useful item they would find, they were going to bring it back with them.

"It's 2 pm. You have about three hours before it starts getting dark." Sana was holding Dahyun's hand, more to comfort herself than the younger member.

"It should take us way less than that" Jeongyeon smirked "assuming that we won't have to stop and hide every two seconds, that is."

"If you have to hide, do it! Don't rush it. Take all the time you need." Nayeon had spent more than an hour arguing with Jeongyeon about which one of them would accompany Chaeyoung. No way they were going to let her go all by herself. But they both wanted the other safe with the rest of the members in the building, so it was only after a lot of back and forth that Nayeon finally gave in and agreed to let Jeongyeon be the one to go with their maknae. It mostly came down to her being a lot more athletic and a faster runner than Nayeon, who had no choice but to concur that it would be a necessary skill when going outside. Still, she was incredibly worried.

"We'll be fine, Nay. I _promise_." Jeongyeon reached out to grab her hand, struggling to take it between her huge gloves, rubbing slow circles with her thumb in an attempt to reassure her.

"Please, be safe." Jihyo's expression was stern, but everyone could still tell how much she was hurting from seeing her members go out into the unknown.

"We will, unnie." Chaeyoung smiled at her, letting her know that despite their earlier disagreement she wasn't holding anything against her. She knew all she did was for the members, and she loved her leader deeply for it.

Jihyo understood. "Thank you, Chaengie."

"Guys..." Everyone turned to look at Momo, who was helping a very exhausted-looking Mina walk towards them. Tzuyu rushed to give her a hand, putting her arm around Mina's waist to hold her up. The girl was so worn out by eight days of hardly any food and sleep that she could barely stand up by herself.

"You don't have to do this..." she said, and if the room hadn't been completely silent nobody would've heard her.

Both Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon went up to her. The younger one was the first to speak.

" _Yes_ unnie, we do. Because we care about you. And you need to get better." She looked Mina straight in the eyes, trying to make her understand how much she really meant to her, and how painful it was for Chaeyoung to see her like this. She wanted her to be fine again, and she was gonna do everything in her power to make it happen.

"Also, I kinda wanted to go for a walk today anyway." Nayeon was quick to smack Jeongyeon in the head, maybe a little harder than she needed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting ready to be thrown to the sharks, huh.
> 
> Coming next: some things are easier said than done.


	3. February 25, 2020 - Day 9 (part 2)

Being inside the big recording room with all the members, getting ready to venture outside, was one thing. Actually being left alone to deal with the unknown -and the zombies- was a whole different story.

Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon both realized that as soon as the heavy door shut behind them, locking them out of the third floor of the JYP building. Left to stand in the stairwell, looking down at the three flight of stairs they would need to walk to reach the ground floor (and the main entrance), they felt the air become heavier.

They shared a look. A silent fist bump. Also a little smile, for good measure.

They started to walk down the stairs, slowly and wary of any sounds that could signal the presence of zombies. Chaeyoung was in front, brandishing the small wooden staff like a sword, while Jeongyeon was trailing behind her, looking through the staircase both up and down to make sure nobody was in sight. When they got to the second floor, Chaeyoung stopped. The door leading to the actual floor, which consisted mostly of practice rooms and gyms, was wide open.

"Should we close it?" she whispered. "If we shut all the doors in the stairwell, we'll be sure no zombie can get to the stairs. We'll have a safe way in and out of the building."

Jeongyeon nodded. "Good idea. However, we'll have to check every single door that leads to the staircase, including those at the higher floors. And the basements. But this is a start."

So that's what they did. They shut all the doors they found on their way, agreeing to come back a later time to check on the other ones.

\----------

Way too quickly they were on the ground floor, standing in front of the big fire-break door. Unlike the previous ones, it was shut. Not a good sign, was it?

"Alright" Jeongyeon whispered "Ready?" Chaeyoung nodded, wiping some sweat from her forehead.

Jeongyeon pushed the handle down as slowly as possible, making sure it was all the way down before pulling the door open ever so slightly. They both peeked through the small gap, taking in the familiar wide hall they had walked through so many times before. Jeongyeon cursed under her breath. Five zombies were strolling around the room, not going anywhere in particular, lazy and slow, bumping into each other with a growl every now and again.

"It's okay, we knew there was going to be someone down here." Chaeyoung stated, matter-of-factly. Still, it was their first time being that close to the disgusting creatures, and it was just as unsettling as they thought it would be.

"Right." the older girl nodded "Let's do this." She reached into her pocket to grab a handful of the smooth and polished stones she had brought with her. Now, Jihyo had been extremely clear about not letting anyone go out without a proper strategy to not get killed, so that's what the girls had come up with. There were a few potted plants scattered around the third floor, the decorative kind with pricey designer vase holders, and of course, stones and clay spheres instead of soil. Their plan, as simple as it was, consisted in using the stones as a distraction to keep the zombies occupied and away from them. They filled their pockets with as many stones as they could carry, and although they were definitely weighting them down, they also represented their only chance of actually going anywhere.

"The shelf on the right, unnie." Chaeyoung pulled the door slightly to point to a glass shelf in the far corner of the hall.

"That's gonna break for sure. Loud enough." Jeongyeon positioned herself so as to have a straight line between the shelf and the door.

"Plan:" she whispered "I break the shelf, the zombies go after it. We hide behind the reception desk, then we sneak out. No talking at all." Chaeyoung raised two fingers above her right eyebrow, making the older smirk.

"Let's get out of here."

\----------

In the recording studio, the atmosphere was heavy. After Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung left, everyone rushed to the window expectantly, waiting for them to show up. Nayeon however stayed behind the door, in case something went wrong sooner than expected; she was listening carefully, searching for any possible sign of something being off, ready to unlock the door and let her friends in as quickly as possible. Mina also stayed behind, too weak to stand up for too long, getting back to sit on the floor where she was before.

"God, this is killing me." Jihyo was already restless, arms folded tightly on her chest. "I should have gone with them."

"Too many people would be an easy target. Two is already a lot, Jihyo-yah." Sana scooted closer to her, resting her head on the younger's shoulder. "That doesn't make it any better, though." Jihyo retorted, although somewhat softening at Sana's touch.

"Tell me when they come out, okay? I'm not moving from here."

"We'll tell you right away, Nayeon unnie. Don't worry." Tzuyu assured, eyes glued to the street below.

Dahyun held Momo's hand tightly, hoping for their earlier planning to be enough to keep Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon safe. What if the pharmacy was farther than expected? What if the stones weren't enough to keep the zombies' focus away from them? What if the road was blocked?

She shook her head, pushing the negative thoughts away. It was all in Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon's hands now. Momo lightly squeezed her hand, as to reassure her, although she herself wasn't in a much better place than Dahyun; looking out of the window, but too deep into her own mind to really see anything.

\----------

Thirty minutes passed, before the first one of them started crying.

"Tzuyu-yah" Sana immediately hugged the younger girl, lightly patting her back. "It's ok, it hasn't been that long yet!" Despite her own words, she looked up at Jihyo, and then at everyone else. They were all thinking the same thing. No one said anything.

A light sob made them all turn around, to find Mina with her head buried in her hands, quietly crying by herself. Before anyone else could move, Jihyo was kneeling before her. She took her hands and lowered them, exposing Mina's swollen and teary eyes.

"I-It's my fault, they w-went out because of _me_..." she managed to mumble between sobs, only to be shushed by Jihyo who gently pulled her into a tight and warm hug.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Minari. You probably think I'm an asshole for talking about you like that. I was insensitive. Please forgive me." she said softly, while stroking the younger's hair. "I was scared. This situation is beyond our control and it kills me. I was just trying to keep everyone safe." Jihyo felt her eyes burning, tears slowly falling down her cheeks and on Mina's shoulders, who was still sobbing.

"None of this is your fault. Don't ever think that, not for a second." She pulled away from Mina to look at her and wipe away some tears with her thumb, waiting for a response. The younger nodded, before burying herself in Jihyo's arms again.

Nayeon was still standing in front of the fire-break door, eyes red, biting her lower lip hard enough to taste her own blood.

One by one they all broke down, their vision getting more and more blurry, until they were all silently crying. Everyone except Momo. She pulled Dahyun into a hug, without really paying attention to the stinging pain in her chest. Things were just getting started, and they were not going to get better anytime soon.

"So what now?" Asked Sana, still holding a trembling Tzuyu. Jihyo got up to face her, eyes heavy and tired. "We keep waiting, Sana." She took a deep breath. "If nothing changes within a few hours, I'll go and look for them in the building. I-If they are..." she couldn't bear to say it out loud. "I can't just leave them there, like all those people in the streets..."

Hearing that, Dahyun and Tzuyu visibly flinched. They turned to face their leader, faces flushed and wet with tears, but before they could say anything Momo stopped them. "Guys."

Her face was unreadable when she spoke, eyes fixed on the window.

"They're out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to keep you on your toes, you know.
> 
> Coming next: Jeongyeon just wanted a quiet time, but the zombies didn't care.


	4. February 25, 2020 - Day 9 (part 3)

"Goddamn stupid basement. Fucking _hell_." Jeongyeon was panting heavily, as she sneaked past a particularly dumb-looking zombie and crouched behind a car.

"Language, hyung-ah" Chaeyoung chuckled, trailing behind her. Jeongyeon had always had a bit of a potty mouth, mostly instigated by Nayeon, but the recent events had really prompted an unrestrained surge of profanities from the girl. Since their plan took an unexpected turn, Chaeyoung had been hearing as much cursing from the older girl as she had in all 20 years of her life combined.

All was going well at first, they threw a stone at the glass shelf and just as expected, all the zombies in the hall immediately followed the sound, leaving them a relatively safe path to exit the building. One thing the hadn't taken into consideration however, was the one lonely creature that was slowly making its way upstairs from the basement, close enough to be attracted by the faint sounds of them whispering to each other.

When the girls were about to actually open the fire-break door and make their way to the exit, the lonely zombie popped up from the stairwell behind them, scaring the shit out of Jeongyeon and prompting Chaeyoung to slam the door back shut. She pretty much had to throw herself at the creature, who had almost managed to bite Jeongyeon's ear off, making them both fall down the stairs into the basement. The fight was brief, ending with the zombie being beaten to a pulp (mostly by a very flustered Jeongyeon), but left them both panting and sweating, cursing themselves for not checking the basement door immediately.

When they climbed back up the stairs to the ground floor, they had to wait for a while for things to settle down. Chaeyoung slamming the door shut had brought a lot of zombies right where they were supposed to walk by, essentially undoing all their previous work and forcing them to start over. It took them a few minutes to get their cool back and find another target to aim at, but they managed just fine. When they finally took their first step beyond the big glass door, Chaeyoung was sporting a wide grin, while Jeongyeon was still very much pissed off at the unexpected encounter.

\----------

"I can still smell that _thing_ all over me!" Jeongyeon complained, and she wasn't entirely wrong. One thing the girls quickly learned about the zombies, as soon as their little face-off was settled, was that they smelled absolutely foul. They _were_ rotting bodies, after all.

"You beating that poor thing to a mush surely didn't help with that" Chaeyoung shot back, smirking. As traumatizing as their first encounter was, them being able to keep their calm and overcome the situation had left Chaeyoung feeling a bit more confident, a newfound energy softly burning within her chest, slowly untying the knots that had been lingering there ever since the girl had first stepped out of the safety of the third floor.

" _Poor thing_? Really?" Jeongyeon looked absolutely outraged, but couldn't hold back a smile at the younger's antics. "Next time I'll leave it all to you, then." she scoffed.

They stood still for a few minutes, crouched down behind the car, carefully monitoring the steady flow of zombies strolling up and down the street. As soon as they saw a clearing, they swiftly moved to hide behind a different car, then another. They kept a slow but steady pace, careful not to make a sound, sometimes throwing a stone as far as possible to guide the creatures away from them; before they knew it, they were right across the pharmacy.

"How do we do this?" whispered Chaeyoung, glancing at the older girl next to her. They were so close, but on the wrong side of the street. They had to cross the road somehow, and it was all but an easy task. They would be exposed, and vulnerable. Not to mention that there was no way at least a few zombies wouldn't spot them, this presuming that they could _see_ , of course. Not knowing such a crucial detail was extremely frustrating, but the girls had no room for unproved assumptions, not when their life was at stake. So until proven otherwise, as far as they were concerned, the creatures could hear, see, smell, and maybe even fly, why not.

Jeongyeon squinted to take a look beyond the pharmacy's windows. The place looked empty, although at that point they knew better than to get their hopes up too soon.

"How about" she paused for a second "we throw a bunch of stones both left and right, and then we make a run for the shop. From here there doesn't seem to be anyone inside." Chaeyoung nodded, reaching for her pockets. "We're so close, unnie. We're gonna do this."

Jeongyeon turned to look at the younger girl, taking in the determination in her eyes. It was an unusual sight for her, seeing her little Chaengie so assertive and hellbent on getting to where they needed no matter what. She realized, all of that was for Mina.

"You care a lot about her, don't you?" She asked quietly. Chaeyoung was startled at the sudden question, but the answer escaped her lips before she could even think about it. "I do."

Jeongyeon nodded, slowly, letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry about defending Jihyo, earlier. Now I know it's for the best if we're here." The younger girl returned her gaze, not saying anything. "It was hard for me too, seeing Mina in such a state, not being able to do anything to help her. But I think it was even worse for you."

That's when Chaeyoung's eyes started to sting. She lowered her head. "I hate it, unnie. I hate seeing Mina like this, so lost, so... _broken_." her breath hitched "It feels like last summer all over again, but ten times worse. Mina having panic attacks constantly, while we can only sit and watch. I _hate_ it."

She whispered the last words with a hatred that Jeongyeon had never seen from the younger girl before. Noticing the tears in her eyes, she put an arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze.

"We're gonna get through this, okay? Mina is gonna be fine. We'll make sure of that." Chaeyoung could only nod, wiping the tears away with her big and rough gloves. "Now let's get to the damn pharmacy!"

\----------

Waiting for the right moment, the girls grabbed a handful of stones each and carefully selected their targets. Rocks flew like bullets through the cold air, landing on cars, shattering windows and lampposts, raising a jumble of crashing sounds that were enough to capture the attention of every zombie within a 400 feet radius.

As soon as the creatures started to move towards the source of the sounds, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung sprinted as fast as they could across the road, frantically opening the shop's door and quickly shutting it behind them. They stood frozen in place where they were for a few seconds, breathing heavily, eyes darting around the place to check for the presence of zombies, as well as beyond the windows to make sure nothing had followed them. When they realized that, just like they had been hoping, the pharmacy was empty, they let out the biggest sigh of relief. They had made it.

"Let's do this as quickly as possible!" Jeongyeon reached for her backpack, ready to fill it up with anything useful they could find "You go and look for Mina's meds behind the counter, I'll go through the shelves". Chaeyoung immediately jumped over the countertop to search the glass displays and the drawers, while Jeongyeon made her way through the rest of the shop, filling up her backpack with all sorts of useful items.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound made her jolt in surprise, followed by a muffled curse by Chaeyoung. Opening the glass displays had activated the alarm system. A loud siren was echoing on and off within the pharmacy, and judging by the mass of zombies that were making their way towards the entrance, it could be heard from well far outside the building.

"FUCK! "Jeongyeon sprinted towards the door, while a frozen Chaeyoung was still processing what was happening from behind the counter. "Come here, help me out!" the older yelled, snapping Chaeyoung from her daze. The younger ran up to her unnie, helping her drag one of the shelves in front of the entrance, before looking around in a panic.

"There's no power, how the fuck is the alarm going off!" Jeongyeon shouted, hands in her hair in despair. Chaeyoung frantically scooped up a few more things into her backpack, before spotting a small door in the back. "Over here, unnie! Quick!" She yelled, just as the first wave of zombies collided with the glass entrance, eyes dark and hollow staring down at them from the other side.

The girls rushed to open the back door, only to be met by an elevator.

"Fuck, _fuck_!" They were both cursing now, adrenaline flowing through their veins, making them shake in a feverish haze. They pried the doors open with their bare hands, panting and grunting, before getting in and sliding them back shut. "Lift me up!" Chaeyoung climbed on Jeongyeon's shoulders, slamming her wooden staff on the ceiling to find the emergency opening. She dropped the staff on the ground to push the small square tile open with her hands, before gripping the edge of the opening tightly and lifting herself up.

With some help from the older, Chaeyoung managed to climb up out of the metal cabin, extending a hand to help Jeongyeon pull herself up as well. They could hear the horde of zombies shattering the entrance door, making their way towards the elevator, as they both found themselves crouching on top of the cabin, an endless void of darkness stretching out above their heads. It was pitch black, but they could feel the thick metal ropes that ran from the elevator up into the shaft. Without a word they started climbing up, beads of sweat rolling down their faces and necks, arms shaking and burning in effort.

When the ungodly creatures managed to open the elevator doors a foul stench filled up the shaft, prompting the girls to climb faster. Luckily for them, the zombies were not able to climb up the ropes, simply piling up on top of each other growling and biting the air above them. Still, Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon didn't stop, making sure to put at least two floors between them and the disgusting creatures, before halting at the sight of a dim light seething through the closed doors that lead to the second floor.

Getting to open the doors while still hanging from the ropes wasn't an easy task, and they had to take it slow to avoid losing their grip and falling down. When they finally managed to create a big enough opening to slide through, they found themselves lying on the marble floor breathlessly, completely drenched in sweat and utterly spent after the strenuous effort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was close, wasn't it?
> 
> Coming next: a long way home
> 
> Also: from now on, updates will be weekly. I have quite a few chapters in the works, and many more that only need revising, so I'll be posting regularly! Only, a little less often :)  
> I'll also might make some fanart for my fic, at some point. So if you fancy seeing that, follow my Twitter @strawberry_tigr !


	5. February 25, 2020 - Day 9 (part 4)

A few minutes passed before any of them could even gather enough air to speak.

"M-my _God_..." was all Jeongyeon could mutter.

"Y-yeah, same." Replied Chaeyoung, making the older chuckle.

Despite their shaky legs the girls slowly got up, holding onto each other for support, and had a look around. They were so exhausted after climbing up two floors that they had collapsed on the ground without even knowing where they were, or checking for possible threats. They were standing in front of a large corridor, which appeared to lead to a huge open space filled with cubicles. Just a regular office, with nothing even remotely out of place. It was probably empty when all hell had broken loose, eight days earlier, sparing it from the devastation and carnage that had otherwise spread throughout the city. Still, the girls kept their guard up.

"How are we getting out of here now?" Jeongyeon removed her hat for a second to scratch her head, deep in thought. Chaeyoung did the same, running her fingers through her hair to de-tangle it and brush it away from her sweaty forehead. "We could try and find some stairs, but I don't think it would be a good idea to go back down, at least for now."

"So we're gonna wait here?" The older girl frowned "We've wasted a lot of time already, it's gonna be dark soon..."

Chaeyoung shook her head. "No, we can't still be here when the sun goes down. We have to get back to JYP's as soon as possible." They stood in silence for a moment, collecting their thoughts.

"How about..." Jeongyeon jogged to the nearest window and looked out. "Yes! It's there! Chaeng, look."

The younger went up to the window, where Jeongyeon was pointing at the side of the building. "The fire escape. Great idea, hyung." She smiled. "Actually, let me check something." Chaeyoung carefully opened the window and stuck her head out to look straight up.

"What?"

"The roof is close enough to the next building. I reckon we could get up there and jump." The younger said casually, like it was the most natural thing to do.

"What?!" Jeongyeon looked dumbfounded. "Why would we want to do that? If we miss the jump, we'll be mush on the pavement!"

Chaeyoung retracted her head, but left the window open, looking poignantly at the older girl. "You can hear it, right?" In the room echoed the faint beeps coming from the pharmacy below.

"Goddamn alarm system. I see." Jeongyeon grimaced, but nodded. "It's gonna be packed with zombies down there, both in and out of the building."

She sighed. "Alright, let's find the emergency exit."

After cautiously making their way towards the fire-break door that appeared to lead outside, the two girls found themselves on the shaky steel platform that ran up the side of the building like a snake. Crouched down as to not be seen by any potential zombies lurking near the windows, they slowly climbed up the fire escape, until they finally reached the rooftop. The space was wide and fairly dirty, but mostly empty; a small flock of pigeons flew away, bothered by the sudden appearance The building they were on had only one big apartment block separating it from JYP's, and it was near enough to be reached jumping. The JYP building was way too far from both of them to be reached in any way except walking, but it was a start. The rooftops were way safer than the streets below, that was for sure.

"Do you think pigeons can turn into zombies?" Asked Jeongyeon, as the girls made their way to the edge of the roof. "And what about bugs? Like mosquitoes and stuff."

Chaeyoung just shrugged. "We'll have to conduct experiments if we want to know that sort of things. Dahyun tried to domesticate a cockroach that one time, we should ask her." They both laughed at the thought, as they got ready to jump.

\----------

"What the actual _fuck_!" Everyone in the room jolted at the sudden scream.

"What's happening Jihyo-yah?? Are they hurt?" Nayeon ran to the window, shoving her leader to the side to get a better view. "Oh God, no, tell me they're fine!" Dahyun got really pale as she clung onto Sana's arm in a panic. Everyone rushed at the window, where a startled Jihyo was still trying to collect her words.

"Why the hell are they on the _roof_?" Yelled Nayeon, prompting everyone else to look at the small apartment complex right below them, where Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon were casually strolling around the rooftop.

Before anyone could say anything, Tzuyu screamed. "There's one of those things! It's so close, _oh God_!" She covered her eyes, while the other girls scrambled to open the window. A zombie had popped up from behind a chimney, a few feet away from Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, who hadn't yet noticed it. Jihyo was about to slam the window open and scream at them, when the creature caught up with the two girls on the roof, and a fight broke out. Everyone in the recording studio froze, holding their breath, watching the brawl unfold below them.

"Oh, I can't look!" Dahyun turned to bury her head into Sana's arms, the latter fixed to the window, mouth agape in suspense Even Mina had stood up from her spot on the floor, although not daring to get close to the window, staying frozen where she was, pale and jittery, absolutely terrified.

"They're fine! They're fine!" Nayeon yelled, when Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon made a quick work of beating the zombie to a pulp, before resuming their stroll like nothing happened. "Damn, they're good..." Momo was impressed with her friends' strength. They all sighed in relief, only to tense up again when the girls reached the fire escape and started climbing down the stairs.

"Ok, ok, they're close. They're close." Muttered Jihyo, as she stared at the streets below. The apartment complex was only a few feet away from the JYP's building, so all Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon had to do was cross the road, and they would be safe. If only it wasn't for the parade of zombies that was making its way up and down the street, it would be easy.

Momo walked back to Mina, who looked like she was about to pass out in exhaustion, sliding an arm around her waist to hold her up. "They'll be alright Mitang, don't worry." She whispered, noticing tears welling up in the younger's eyes. Mina took a deep breath and nodded weakly, resting her head on Momo's shoulder. Suddenly, they were both snapped out of their stillness by Jihyo and Nayeon, who were yelling a panicked commentary of what was going on below them.

"They're hiding behind the car!" "Careful, there's one of those things right there!" "Yes, go, _go_!" "No, stop!" "They're running now, come on, COME ON!" " _Fuck_ , behind you!" Everyone else had their face pressed against the window, jumping up and down in excitement and nervousness, hands in their hair.

"THEY'RE IN!" Jihyo finally announced, cheeks flushed, eyes wider than ever in exultation. A loud collective cheer erupted in the room, Dahyun and Tzuyu crying their eyes out in relief, Nayeon and Sana hugging and pushing everyone. "The door!!" They all ran to the fire-break door, not daring to open it yet, holding their breath and listening carefully.

"Listen, if a cockroach turned into a zombie, it wouldn't be able to infect anyone, because they can't fucking _bite_!"

"I get it hyung but what if you stepped on it, and a bit of goop got into your eye, then you would be infected wouldn't you?" the faint voices became clearer and clearer as the approached the emergency door. Before the could even knock, Nayeon slammed the door open right on Jeongyeon's face, pulling them both inside before slamming it back shut behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too bad for a first outing, was it?
> 
> Coming next: Mina has a lot on her mind.


	6. February 25, 2020 - Day 9 (part 5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to change the format a bit, just to make dialogues a bit easier to read.  
> Let me know what you think about it.

"YOO JEONGYEON!"

"SON CHAEYOUNG!"

"BRO!"

A mess of arms and hands enveloped the two girls, making them fall to the ground in a tangle of bodies and limbs, while loud praises and cheers bounced around the room. Nayeon was the first to get ahold of Jeongyeon, halting in concern as soon as she saw the younger's face, covered in blood.

"Oh my God you're having a nosebleed, what happened? Are you hurt? Did they bite you??" she rambled, grabbing Jeongyeon's cheeks with both hands.

"YOU SLAMMED THE FUCKING DOOR ON MY FACE, THAT'S WHAT!" The latter yelled, and everyone froze for a second before erupting in laughter, Jeongyeon included.

"We've been watching you from the window, you were amazing!" said Dahyun, still teary eyed from before. "We were so worried..." Chaeyoung pulled her into a tight hug, smiling widely. "Thanks, bro."

As Jeongyeon was trying to collect herself (and stop her nosebleed, helped by an apologetic Nayeon), Mina and Momo hesitantly scooted closer to Chaeyoung. The younger noticed their presence, and let go of Dahyun to get up and face them. "You did well, Chaeyoungie." Momo ruffled her hair, while Mina stood silent, collecting her thoughts. Before she could say anything, the younger grabbed her hands and gave her the sweetest and brightest smile of the day. "We got your meds, Mina unnie." At that, Mina simply broke down in tears, letting Chaeyoung envelope her into an incredibly gentle hug.

"I smell like zombies, sorry..." Mina let out a chuckle, still sobbing on the younger's shoulder. "It's okay, Chaengie."

\----------

Since the two girls were covered in blood splatters, dirt, sweat, and God knows what else, the rest of the group let them go take a shower and get changed, before bombarding them with questions. They all sat in a circle on the floor, inspecting the newly-acquired items, as Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung patiently recounted what happened in great detail. When they finished their story, answered all questions, and blushed at the endless praise, it was almost 7 pm. Momo got up from her spot to fetch some dinner from the food court, while everyone else relaxed on the cushions on the floor.

"We still have enough food for how many days now?" Asked Jeongyeon. Jihyo frowned a little, looking at the door. "Five or six days, I think. It's not much, but..." Before she could finish the sentence, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung smirked at each other. "What was that?" Sana looked at the both of them quizzically.

"I guess we'll be off again in a couple days, maybe the day after tomorrow." Chaeyoung said casually, with a big smile on her face. Everyone stared at her in surprise, before Jihyo cautiously approached her and Jeongyeon. "Are you planning on going out again? I know we'll need more food eventually, but... We just got you back."

Chaeyoung nodded, speaking gently to her leader. "When we were out, we kind of thought about this." she quickly glanced at Jeongyeon, who continued. "It's not too hard once you get the hang of it, and we think that together we make a good team." She grinned towards the younger girl. "We've decided to be a sort of, scout party, from now on. We'll be the ones going out to search for food and whatever else we need." Their confidence and newfound enthusiasm spread like a summer breeze around the room, easing the worries of the other girls, and bringing the tiniest glimmer of hope for the uncertain future.

"Well, then" sighed Jihyo, "I guess we'll have to deal with you two being outside every now and again." She gave them a tired smile, before getting up to help Momo carry the food inside the studio. Nayeon walked past Mina, halting for a moment to kneel down next to her. "Eat well now, alright Mina-yah? You owe them this much." She whispered, giving her a quick kiss on the temple before getting back up to sit next to Jeongyeon. Mina, who was sitting next to Chaeyoung, was taken aback but shyly nodded, snuggling closer to the younger girl, who was unaware of the brief exchange.

They all ate in silence, too tired too speak anymore, and Chaeyoung helped Mina hold her fork when the older's hands were shaking too much. As soon as they were done, a few of them were already dozing off. They took turns getting ready for the night in the restroom, while Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung went through their backpacks to reorganize their loot. Dropping everything on the floor, they separated the first aid items from the other drugs they had taken, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, and even a few antibiotics. They moved the boxes around and stacked them in rows, all smiley and giddy like two kids playing with their favourite toy. They were evidently proud of what they had done, Mina noted. She just sat in silence, staring at them, thinking about the sinking feeling that was welling up inside her chest.

\----------

She knew that feeling all too well. It wasn't the cold and heavy kind, the one that would manifest whenever she was about to have a panic attack, nor it was the tight and warm excitement she would get right before getting on stage to perform. It was a slow feeling, raw and soft, that would fill her chest and travel up to her cheeks and deep down into her stomach, a longing, a neediness, something that had taken her a long time to finally understand.

It happened the summer before, one warm and clear night in Hawaii, after everyone had gone to sleep and she had sneaked out of the hotel to go stargazing on the beach with Chaeyoung. As she was lying on the sand, brushing shoulders with the younger girl, not really talking about anything and just taking in the beauty of the night sky above them, that's when she realized that she was in love. Deeply, hopelessly in love with the girl that seemed to always understand her so well, the girl that would always offer her words of comfort when she needed, the girl that could lift her mood and make her genuinely laugh just by being around her.

That night Mina couldn't sleep. She almost confessed right then and there on the beach, the sudden realization overwhelming her completely, months of uncovered feelings coming crashing down on her like the ocean waves she was lying next to. She came so close, but stopped herself from doing it.

There were many reasons for her not to say anything, though one in particular was what held her back: Mina was sick. She had been for a while at that point, and things had been getting progressively worse, no signs of improvement whatsoever. Her mental health was at an all-time low, with vicious panic attacks sneaking up on her when she least expected, and a lingering anxiety that never left her alone, despite her best efforts. The members knew about her condition, however they were not aware of the extent of it. She had been keeping most of her hardships to herself, trying not to burden anyone with her issues, and she was getting close to her breaking point. She just couldn't drag Chaeyoung into that, not when the younger girl was always so willing to leave anything and anyone behind to help her. Mina couldn't bring herself to throw her feelings at Chaeyoung, who would surely be taken aback and maybe even feel bad for not being able to reciprocate them, knowing about Mina's issues and worrying about hurting her.

No, Mina chose to stay silent, and get back to the hotel where she spent the night quietly crying in bed wide awake, careful not to wake her roommate.

A lot of things had changed since that night, the most important being her eventually having a breakdown and being forced to step out from TWICE's activities for a few weeks, to finally focus on getting the help she needed for her mental health. Although her feelings never faded, she made an effort to set them aside, focusing on figuring out how to get better. Distancing herself from the rest of the group helped with that, even though Mina found herself spending way too many nights lying in bed awake, circling around the same thoughts over and over again, thoughts that seemed to always include a certain young girl.

"What do you think, Mina-yah?"

"Eh?" Mina was abruptly snapped out of her brooding by Jeongyeon.

"About the cockroach. Jeong unnie insists it wouldn't be able to infect a human, but I think it's nonsense." Chaeyoung said, frowning slightly in annoyance. The way she was taking the matter so seriously made Mina smile, despite everything.

Yeah, even though in the past few months she was back to her normal self, she was still very cautious about her feelings for Chaeyoung. The younger girl was of course interested in women, she herself had come out as bisexual to all the members and managers a long time ago, not really to Mina's (or anyone else's) surprise; and at times, after a lingering touch or a hesitant brushing of hands, she couldn't help the suspicion that Chaeyoung might actually feel the same type of way towards her. However, as much as Mina wanted to believe that, she wasn't going to risk their precious friendship over a mere hope.

Either way, the prospect was pushed back into a corner of her mind as soon as the whole zombie apocalypse thing broke out. Talk about timing.

"I think you're right, Chaeyoung-ah. If a cockroach were to become a zombie somehow, it would probably be contagious." She said in a low voice, chuckling.

"See? Even Mina agrees!" Jeongyeon rolled her eyes and scoffed, before getting up. "Whatever, I'm going to sleep." She yawned.

"We should rest too." Chaeyoung looked cautiously at Mina, like she was afraid to say something wrong. "I... Got you something." The older girl tilted her head questioningly, as Chaeyoung grabbed a handful of little tubes from inside her backpack.

"It was the only thing I could find at the pharmacy that was lavender scented," she said almost apologetically "They're migraine sticks. You're supposed to rub some of it on your forehead when you're having a headache... But there's no drugs in them, it's pretty much only essential oils. You can use them as often as you want." She mumbled.

Mina stared at her, completely speechless. The girl had risked her life to get medication for her, and she had _also_ found the time to remember about her habit of sleeping with lavender scent on her pillow. Mina felt herself sink again, but she managed a weak smile, full of gratitude. "Thank you, Chaengie."

\----------

The girls were all spread across the big makeshift bed, some already sound asleep, others quietly whispering to each other. Nayeon seemed to have a lot to talk about, much to Jeongyeon's despair, who eventually pulled her into a tight hug to suffocate her chattering.

Chaeyoung was lying next to Mina, running her fingers lazily through the older's hair. She took one of the migraine sticks and removed the cap, gently pressing the tube on Mina's temples. A faint smell of lavender spread out around them, sweet and flowery. It was soothing.

Chaeyoung kept playing with Mina's hair, while the older girl felt her eyes getting progressively heavier. "Sleep well, Minari." Were the last words she heard, before falling into a deep slumber, arms wrapped tightly around Chaeyoung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping is good. We could all use more of it, really.
> 
> Coming next: Mina's not the only one with a lot on her mind.


	7. February 26, 2020 - Day 10

Mina slept for thirteen hours. When she finally woke up, eyes swollen and hazy, Chaeyoung was still next to her, happily eating from a plate of veggies.

"Chae, I think Mina unnie is awake." Dahyun, who was sitting on the other side of the girl, nudged Chaeyoung.

"Mina-chaaan, you slept so well!" Sana was quick to run up to them and cuddle next to the japanese girl. "We're having lunch, wanna join?" She asked. Mina, still a bit sleepy, looked up to Chaeyoung, who rewarded her with a wide smile, dimples showing.

"Yes, I think I'm a bit hungry..."

\----------

Sana watched as Mina slowly but surely finished a full plate of food, her cheeks a bit rosier that the day before. If was a relief, really, seeing the young girl finally starting to recover. Sana attributed the sudden change to the care of Chaeyoung; the girl sure had been doing all she could to make Mina feel better, and it was starting to show. Now all was left to fix was Momo, but the girl had completely shut Sana out as soon as the latter had attempted to comfort her. Sana hated the situation, but knew Momo well enough to know the girl needed time and space, so that's what she gave her.

When Mina was done with her lunch, Sana offered to take her plate away to the food court. Partly because she wanted to help, partly because Jihyo was there, and Sana wanted to see her. She got up to exit the room, walking past Dahyun and Jeongyeon who were arguing about insects, not paying them much attention. As soon as she approached the small open space kitchen filled with tables and chairs, she spotted Jihyo slouched on a bench next to the window, eyes closed, hands resting on her forehead. She looked tired.

Sana placed what she was holding on a table, and went to daintily sit on Jihyo's lap. The latter jerked slightly in surprise, before bringing her arms around Sana's waist, holding her close, resting her head on her back with a sigh.

"You look tired, Hyo." Sana stated, leaning back to prop herself against her leader, mindlessly caressing her arms.

"That's how it is." The younger girl mumbled. "But we're doing better now. We're not completely hopeless anymore." Sana nodded. "You're doing great, Hyo." She whispered, earning a scoff from the girl underneath her. "You always say that."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Sana couldn't hold back her thoughts anymore.

"I miss this." She murmured, as Jihyo tightened her hold around her "I miss us together."

"We've talked about this, Sana-yah." Jihyo's tone was gentle, but her words were as cold as ice to Sana's ears.

Their... _relationship_ , if that's how you would call it, was the kind that only existed when both of them were blackout drunk and nobody else was around to stop the lingering kisses and roaming hands. It never got further than a few heated makeout sessions, spread between their dorm and the various hotel rooms the group passed through during tours, and always ended before anything irreparable could happen. It was clear from the beginning that Jihyo considered their little hookups nothing but a fun way to relieve some stress; Sana however, was starting to feel a certain type of way towards her leader. The type that had her purposefully getting Jihyo drunk as often as possible, egging her on and daring her to drink that one last glass, just to be able to taste the younger girl's sweet mouth on hers once more. When Jihyo eventually started dating that guy, _Kang Daniel_ , as quickly as it started, their little game came to an end.

Sana dealt with it. Or at least, she tried. As much as she had Dahyun to be touchy and cuddly with, it wasn't even remotely the same as with Jihyo. And Sana simply being a needy and tactile person by nature, lead to a drunken night when the two girls got really close to committing a big mistake. Jihyo was in her senses enough to stop whatever was about to happen before it even started, but that only prompted Sana to burst into tears in frustration, blabbering out a string of pleads and insults towards a completely astonished Jihyo.

After the incident, they decided to have a talk. Sana confessed to have been enjoying their little encounters a lot more than she should have, while Jihyo apologized for not realizing what was going on before it was too late. They made up with each other, and things went back to normal. Normal, if not for the abrupt stop of any and all of Jihyo's skinship towards the older girl. Of course, she didn't want to hurt her any more than she already had, and that was her way of doing it. Still, Sana was in pain. She missed their cuddles just as much as the rest, however, she didn't want to impose her feelings on the younger girl anymore. So she acted like all was fine.

Before Jihyo could say anything else, Sana got up from her lap without a word, and walked back to the recording studio, eyes burning.

\----------

The following days were by far the happiest since the whole ordeal had started. Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung found themselves too sore from their previous outing to venture outside again right away, and decided to wait for a couple days in the studio, much to Nayeon and Jihyo's delight. Mina was taking her meds and sleeping fairly well, not to mention finally eating properly, which helped a great deal with keeping her anxiety under control.

Knowing that being outside without being killed or worse was possible, really had a big impact on everyone's mood, including Tzuyu's. Far from being the trembling girl frozen with panic that she was the first few days, the maknae was gladly helping Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon plan their next outing, snuggled up on the floor next to Dahyun.

"All I'm saying is, if we pull a rope between the window up here and the apartments below, you won't even have to step foot on the street. You could just slide down and then walk the rest of the way up on the rooftop." Dahyun was explaining animatedly, ever so serious.

"I swear, you and Chaeyoung are trying to get me killed." Jeongyeon sighed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "Where are we even supposed to find a _rope_ anyway? We don't even have bedsheets here..."

"I think for now you guys should do just like you did before... But if you have the chance, when you get to the convenience store, you should try and find something that we can use as a rope. Dahyun unnie's idea makes sense." Tzuyu spoke softly, earning nods of approval from Chaeyoung and Dahyun.

"You too, Tzuyu-yah? Then it might not be such a terrible idea, after all..." Jeongyeon smirked, casually putting an arm around the maknae's shoulders, earning a shy smile from Tzuyu.

"Yah! What's that supposed to mean, hyung-ah!" Chaeyoung feigned disdain, while everyone laughed.

"I just wish there was a way for us to help you from up here..." Dahyun trailed off. Watching the prior events unfold from the studio window, without being able to intervene in any way, had been extremely frustrating. "It's okay bro, you can help us with the cockroach thing." Tzuyu brought a hand to her eyes. "God, not this again..."

"I'm serious, Chae!" Dahyun blushed slightly. "I hate being here doing nothing while you risk your life down there..." Jeongyeon gave her a sympathetic smile, well aware that the girl was genuinely upset. Before she could say anything, a low voice spoke from behind them.

"She's not the only one, you know." Momo lazily made her way towards the small group, propping herself against the wall next to them. She looked intensely at Jeongyeon. "I want to do something too. Teach me how to kill a zombie." It was silent for a moment.

"Okay... Yeah, I'll teach you." Jeongyeon was hesitant, but Momo's gaze wasn't leaving her much of a choice. Besides, maybe that was just what the girl needed to snap out of her sulking.

"After Chaeng and I are back from the convenience store, I'll bring you around the building. We'll find some zombies for you to practice on." Momo nodded, satisfied with her answer, and walked out the room without a word.

The four girls all exchanged looks, before resuming their pondering.

Nayeon, who had been quietly listening to the group huddled up on the floor next to Mina, got up to follow Momo out of the studio.

\----------

Momo was standing in front of the small gym at the end of the corridor, when Nayeon grabbed her wrist. She immediately recoiled and swatted the unwanted touch away, glaring coldly at the older girl.

"How long are you going to keep this up for, huh?" Nayeon's gaze scanned the younger girl up and down, pausing on Momo's pitch black irises. They used to be so warm and welcoming, full of many things, thoughts, smiles. Now they were nothing but a dark void, a reflection of the girl's troubled mind.

Her tone softened. "I know it's been hard for you..." She was interrupted by Momo suddenly stepping closer and growling, inches away from her face.

"You know nothing about how I feel, Nayeon. _Nothing_." She was fed up with everyone trying to force her to act all cheery and happy, when she was clearly not. So damn fed up. "Not when you have your pretty little girlfriend right next to you, safe and sound, while I worry about going outside and finding Heechul's rotting corpse on the side of the road _every fucking day_!"

There was silence for a moment, as the two girls stared down at each other, faces so close their noses were almost touching. Nayeon was taken aback by the sudden outburst, but she slowly shook her head, lowering her eyes.

"I might not fully understand how you're feeling, Momo. You're right. But I know without a doubt that shutting everyone out and spending your days wallowing in your own misery will not make things better." The younger girl flinched at the words, but didn't move, holding Nayeon's gaze.

"We care about you, Momoring. If only you'd let us help you..." At that, Momo simply turned around and walked into the gym, not sparing Nayeon a single glance before shutting the door closed behind her.

The older girl stood motionless for a few seconds, before heading back to the recording studio with a sigh.

Maybe Momo was right, after all. How could she even remotely imagine what the younger was going through, being separated from her lover, not being able to know if they're safe, while the world outside seems to be crumbling down. Nayeon thought about it. They got lucky, the nine of them, being in the same building when it all happened, having each other to cling onto for comfort and reassurance. Nayeon and Jeongyeon got even luckier, being with each other, considering that both Jihyo and Momo had found themselves separated from their significant others in such a cruel way.

Nayeon thought about having to spend the prior seven nights in the studio without Jeongyeon holding her tight, caressing her hair and whispering reassuring words. Oh, it would have been hell. How could she blame Momo for reacting that way? Perhaps Nayeon would've been even worse than her, in that situation. Still, she wished for the younger girl to at least _try_ and snap out of it. While Momo seemed to have just given up on herself, choosing to ignore every attempt at helping her to bask in her own anguish instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being locked up in the same space 24/7 can get a lil dangerous.
> 
> Coming next: would you trust a stranger with your life?
> 
> Also: I went ahead and changed the dialogue format in all the previous chapters as well, since the quote marks seemed to work better. Now the entire fic should be a lot smoother to read!


	8. February 29, 2020 - Day 13 (part 1)

"We should be back for lunch, you don't have to wait for us though. It might take a bit longer." Jeongyeon shrugged, as Jihyo and Nayeon were escorting her and Chaeyoung to the fire-break door.

"Of course we'll wait for you, dummy. No way we won't." Nayeon shoved her lightly, looking worried.

"Have you got everything?" Jihyo patted Chaeyoung up and down, as to test the padding provided by the various layers of clothes. "Yeah, we're good." The younger smiled, ever so confident.

Once again, it was time to say goodbye. The rest of the girls had already given plenty of hugs and words of encouragement to the pair, who was left with Nayeon and Jihyo sending them off.

"Be careful out there." the leader frowned, looking intensely at Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon. "We'll be watching from the window."

"Yes ma'am." Jeongyeon made a show of angling her hand on her forehead like a salute. She was promptly smacked in the nape by Nayeon, before the latter roughly pulled her into a tight hug. "Why are you always hitting me when I'm going out! It hurts..." Jeongyeon complained, stroking the older girl's hair.

Jihyo and Chaeyoung chuckled at the two, before exchanging a quick hug. "Please, make sure Mina is okay while we're out." The younger whispered as they pulled away, earning a slow nod from Jihyo in response.

\----------

"So, here we are again." The two girls were standing in front of the empty staircase, door locked behind them.

"Yup. Scout party, you said?" Chaeyoung grinned at Jeongyeon, who winked in response. "Let's go, hyung-ah."

They were dressed in the exact same outfit they had last time. The members had all helped out with the washing, doing all they could to wipe away all the blood and guts that were spread on the clothes, after their last outing. However, as much as they could get the coats and pants to be somewhat clean, the face masks had to be discarded, being made of tissue. There weren't that many left in the studio however, so they were definitely on the shopping list.

Yeah, the girls had a shopping list. God forbid they forget something important, caught up in the moment. Food was obviously the priority, but they also needed to get toilet paper, hygiene products, a rope substitute (if they could find such thing, that is), and last but not least, weapons. Having left one of the wooden staffs in the elevator at the pharmacy, the girls had very little to defend themselves with. Momo had provided Chaeyoung with a few knives from the food court, but they were much too small and dull to be an effective weapon. So the two girls had a total of five empty backpacks with them, ready to be filled to the brim with anything useful they could find.

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung made their way down the three flights of stairs, much faster than they had the previous time, and they didn't hold back a chuckle when they found themselves in front of the ground floor door, thinking about their unexpected encounter with the lonely zombie.

"It's not funny!" Jeongyeon whispered angrily, although still smiling. "That thing almost bit my ear off!"

"You're the one who's laughing, hyung-ah!" rebutted Chaeyoung, as she slowly opened the door.

Getting out of the building turned out to be much easier the second time around, with the girls sliding smoothly along cars and trees, occasionally throwing a stone to distract an approaching zombie, in record time. Luckily, the closest convenience store to the JYP building was less than a block away, making it far easier to reach than the pharmacy. It was a matter of minutes before the girls were crouched down behind a tree, facing the small shop.

The first issue made itself clear enough, without them having to step any closer. The place was _packed full_ of zombies. Not four or five, or even ten, but a full mob of creatures all squeezed inside the store. There were so many the place was completely full, a few dazed zombies left circling around the entrance, bumping into each other, unable to get past the threshold.

"Why are they all in there now? What the fuck..." Jeongyeon muttered, observing the creatures. "There's no alarm going off this time, is there?" She glanced at Chaeyoung, who shook her head, frowning slightly. "Then _why_? What's in there that has attracted all these damn zombies?"

Chaeyoung suddenly groaned, finally understanding what was going on. "It's the deli counter..." she sighed, shaking her head.

"What?" Jeongyeon looked at her quizzically.

"The deli counter, unnie. All the fresh meat and fish they had, it's gone bad because the power is off. It's been almost two weeks without electricity, it probably smells like death in there." She pinched the bridge of her nose, grimacing. "We should have thought about this..."

Jeongyeon just stared at her for a few seconds, before slouching down on the ground, deep in thought. "Well, at least now we know they can smell." She smiled bitterly.

\----------

"Why are they not moving?" Tzuyu asked to no one in particular. The girls were all gathered around the big window, observing their two friends in the street below.

"Something is wrong." Momo answered, not caring about the dirty look Nayeon gave her right after.

"Don't say that, Momoring." Murmured Sana, busying herself with cuddling a very pale Dahyun.

"They're being careful, just like they should." Jihyo stated, and that was the end of the discussion.

Momo shrugged, and absent-mindedly patted Dahyun's head before walking to the corner of the room and sitting down next to Mina. The girl was doing much better than the days before, and was perfectly able to stand up and look out the window; however, seen her persistent anxiety, Chaeyoung had made her promise to stay back and not look at what was happening, in an attempt to keep her as serene as possible. Granted, Mina was still absolutely terrified at the thought of Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung outside again. But being far away from all the commotion, she could at least try and not think too much about what could go wrong.

Momo glanced at the younger girl, before putting an arm around her shoulder, relaxing her back against the wall. She was soon followed by Sana and Dahyun, the latter being too nervous to keep watching, who sat down beside her. Sana lightly stroked Mina's hair, earning a weak smile from the younger girl, before directing her attention to Dahyun. She made her sit between her legs, facing forward, head resting on her shoulder. She wrapped her tight in her arms, swaddling her ever so slightly, planting a kiss or two to the back of her head every now and then.

Dahyun sighed and melted into her touch, fiddling with Sana's fingers as many thoughts crossed her mind.

"We need to help them." She mumbled. Sana tilted her head quizzically, though the younger girl couldn't really see her. "Chaeyoung might be right, after all..." Dahyun turned around to face the three older girls, who were all looking at her. "There's so much we still don't know about those... _Creatures_. We need to find out more. That's one way to make ourselves useful."

Sana scratched her chin, lowering her eyes. "We do. Ever since we stopped receiving those government's updates, we've been cut off from any new information about what is going on. Even if they'd start sending them again, we only have one phone left with a bit of battery life, and even that is going to be dead within a few days." she exhaled deeply. "If we want to find out more about this, we have to search for answers ourselves."

Dahyun nodded vigorously, glad that the older girl was on the same page as her. Mina seemed unsure, although supportive of their argument, while Momo simply shrugged.

The younger girl turned her head to look at Sana, eyes glistening with expectancy. "Will you help me with this, unnie?"

Sana shot her a bright smile, before tightening her grip and showering her with kisses and cuddles, as Dahyun unsuccessfully tried to get away with a groan. "Of course, Dahyunnie."

\----------

Farther up the street, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung were having trouble deciding what to do.

"Are we really gonna have to go back? Come _on_!" the older muttered angrily, observing the shop across the road. Getting all the way there, only to be forced to retreat? No way.

"Unless we find some other place nearby, I'm afraid we... huh?" Chaeyoung halted, squinting to try and figure out what she'd just seen. "What?" Jeongyeon scooted closer to the younger girl, following her gaze to an apartment block a few yards away.

"I think I've seen someone moving up there... Wait..." Chaeyoung scanned the face of the building, scrolling along the rows of concrete grey balconies, until her eyes fell on a small broken window on one of the higher floors. Two guys were looking out the window, moving their arms around in an attempt to get the girls' attention.

"There! There's people!" Jeongyeon jolted, weirdly excited at the discovery. "It looks like they're trying to tell us something?" She quickly glanced around, making sure that nothing was going after them, before turning to Chaeyoung. The younger girl's gaze was fixed on the apartment block, and she frowned slightly, watching the two men frantically gesticulate. They were signalling to go left, pointing and waving their arms.

"They're telling us to go left, unnie." she whispered. "However..."

Going left meant turning a corner, and from their hideout behind a parked car, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung couldn't see what was behind it. It would be a leap of faith, trusting the directions of two strangers. The two girls though, simply could not afford to put their lives in the hands of some random blokes, who might very well be ill-intentioned.

Jeongyeon understood exactly what the younger girl was thinking, and nodded pensively "Could be a trap." She wiped some sweat away from her forehead, before looking up at the building again. It was too far to make out the exact features of the two guys, although they seemed fairly young. One of them was wearing a bright pink sweater.

"I say we give it a try." Chaeyoung said suddenly "I'm not completely sure, but they don't look..."

"...Threatening?" finished Jeongyeon. "Yeah. I think they might actually be trying to help us out."

The two girls looked at each other of a few seconds, before Jeongyeon fished a handful of stones from her pockets, shaking her head. "Jihyo will be so mad."

"Nayeon too" added Chaeyoung, making the older girl shudder at the thought. As lovely as she was, her girlfriend could be extremely scary when she was angry. As she was about to get into position, Jeongyeon stopped for a second, glancing at the younger girl with a crooked grin. "Chaeng."

"Yes, hyung?"

"I'll be _very_ pissed if it turns out we've been scammed by a guy in a bright pink sweater."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A guy dressed in pink couldn't possibly be bad... Right?
> 
> Coming next: there's people out there.


	9. February 29, 2020 - Day 13 (part 2)

"What did I say about the guy? I take everything back!" Jeongyeon laughed, as she filled a second backpack with canned food and toilet paper. "Such a good person! So trustworthy!"

Chaeyoung snorted, while grabbing a handful of toothbrushes from a shelf.

Turned out the two men didn't have bad intentions at all, and were trying to point them to a nearby convenience store, a bit smaller than the previous one, but completely clear of zombies (perhaps thanks to the deli counter being totally empty). As soon as the two girls made their way around the corner, they were delighted to see the small shop, getting in as fast as possible, finally being able to gather the things they so desperately needed.

Aside from food and hygiene supplies, the store offered a wide variety of kitchenware, including a selection of massive knives and carving forks, that the girls merrily took, glad to finally have proper weapons. Jeongyeon even managed to find a baseball bat, hidden in a compartment behind the counter, that most likely belonged to the owner of the place. They couldn't find a rope (or rope substitute, as Dahyun had been hoping), but after thoroughly browsing the store, the two girls had all of their five backpacks completely full. They took a minute to sit down next to the counter, gathering some energy for the journey back home, while sipping on two bottles of diet coke.

"These are so heavy." whined Jeongyeon, looking at the backpacks on the floor "We're gonna be exhausted when we get to JYP's."

Chaeyoung chuckled, wiping her forehead with her glove. "If we look worn out enough, maybe Jihyo won't beat us up for not following the plan." Jeongyeon couldn't help but laugh out loud, choking on her coke.

"Jihyo might not, but Nayeon sure will." She grimaced. "I swear, sometimes that woman frightens me more than the zombies."

Chaeyoung just smiled, looking at the older girl. Jeongyeon and Nayeon had been together for as long as she could remember, and as much as the two clearly and deeply loved one another, they would never stop with their shenanigans. In Chaeyoung's eyes, that was further proof that the two girls were made for each other. Nobody would ever be able to replicate the unique bond they shared, and the way they seemed to fit perfectly together like two puzzle pieces. Even their antics were part of that special connection they had, so much so that it would be weird to picture the couple without their usual bickering.

Noticing the younger girl staring, Jeongyeon tilted her head quizzically. "What?"

Chaeyoung sighed, taking a sip of her coke. "You two are really cute, unnie."

Jeongyeon blushed slightly. Even after all those years, she would still get a bit flustered whenever one of the members made a comment about her relationship. "Thanks, Chaengie."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, relaxing against the counter, until it was time to get going. As Chaeyoung was making her way towards the backpacks, she noticed a piece of paper on the floor. Leaning down to grab it, she realized it was a hand-written note. How had they not spotted it as soon as they got into the store?

"Unnie!" She called out "Come take a look at this." Jeongyeon quickly caught up with the younger girl, looking worried. Chaeyoung lifted the paper up, for the older girl to see.

"Someone left a note. It was probably on the counter, but we were such in a hurry that we didn't see it, and with all the rustling it ended up on the floor." The girls moved closer to each other, silently reading.

_To anyone who might find this: we're three guys, currently in the big apartment block across the road, and we're looking for other survivors. We believe that in this dire situation we should all stick together and help each other out as much as possible. We can offer food and shelter to whoever needs it. If you're hurt and in need of medical help, we do also have a good amount of medical supplies we can gladly share. In this hard times, all we can really do is support one another._

_Please consider making contact with us. There are walkie talkies in the store, hidden in the third drawer from the top, behind the counter. We have a few with us, and we keep at least one on at all times. The frequency number is 6. If you contact us there, we will answer._

_We'll get through this! Fighting!_

_Ji_

Jeongyeon scrambled behind the counter, opening all the drawers. As written in the note, she found three walkie talkies and a pack of batteries, stashed underneath an old rag. She turned to face Chaeyoung, who was scratching her nape deep in thought, holding the items up. "Here they are. These are going to be _so_ useful!"

A sudden thought crossed the younger girl's mind. "Could these be... The guys we saw earlier?"

Jeongyeon shrugged, stuffing everything in her pockets. "Either way, we gotta go. When we get back to JYP's we'll talk with the members, and we'll decide what to do." Chaeyoung briefly nodded, folding the note and placing it in one of her backpacks. They had been out for way too long, and they still had a long journey back to the building ahead of them. They'll have time to figure out what to do later on.

\----------

As expected, both Nayeon and Jihyo were absolutely _livid_. The scouting pair had barely enough time to get through the door and deposit their heavy load, before the two enraged women cut their way across the small welcoming crowd, shooting daggers at them. After making sure Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung were safe and sound, they dragged the two girls into one of the small vocal practice rooms and proceeded to thoroughly scold them. The pair just sat on the floor, keeping their eyes low, accepting all reprimands without protesting, sharing a knowing look every now and then. Jihyo and Nayeon eventually got tired of yelling, and just stood with their arms crossed glaring at the two girls on the floor. Jihyo finally brought a hand to her eyes, looking done. "Just please, don't pull this kind of stunt ever again."

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung glanced at each other, feeling rather bad for making their friends worry so much. "We won't. We're really sorry, Jihyo-yah." Nayeon just shook her head and scoffed, leaving the room without a word. Jihyo spared them a tired smile, before heading out as well.

Jeongyeon immediately got up and chased after Nayeon, while Chaeyoung lied down on the ground with a sigh, stretching her arms.

Jeongyeon caught up with Nayeon right as she was about to open the door to the recording studio. She quickly stopped her, getting ahold of her wrists. The older girl turned around huffily, revealing a flushed face and teary eyes. There was silence for a few seconds.

"I was really worried. We couldn't see you anymore." she said in a low voice "I thought something went wrong. I didn't-" But she was cut off by Jeongyeon, who pulled her into a hug.

"I know. I'm really, really sorry Nay. I promise it won't happen again." she whispered into Nayeon's ear, stroking her hair reassuringly. The older girl stiffened up a bit, before completely melting into the warm embrace, burying her head in the crook of Jeongyeon's neck, letting her tears finally fall down her cheeks.

"I get it, you need to do this." she managed to breathe between hiccups "It's just... I hate not knowing what's going on." she wrapped her arms around the younger girl's waist, holding her coat tight.

"I won't be going anywhere for a while, okay? I'll stay here with you." Jeongyeon pulled away slightly to look down at Nayeon, gently wiping away a tear with her thumb. The older girl nodded slowly, tightening her grip. That's when Jeongyeon cupped her face with both hands, bringing her up into a tender kiss. Nayeon's lips were incredibly soft and pliant against her own, and she could feel her flushed cheeks wet with tears burning against her skin. Jeongyeon couldn't help but exhale deeply, when they eventually parted.

"You know I love you, right?" She whispered, millimeters away from the older girl's mouth.

"I do, dummy." Nayeon murmured, before connecting their lips once again.

"We have plenty of empty rooms around here, use those if you have to be gross." Jihyo casually said stepping out of the restroom, as the couple jerked away from each other like they'd just got electrocuted. "You ruined our moment, Jihyo-yah." Nayeon complained with a pout, while Jeongyeon blushed deeply. Jihyo gave them a somewhat apologetic smirk, before walking past them and into the recording studio.

\----------

With the scolding out of the way, Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon were able to have a proper talk with the rest of the members. Everyone helped unpack their luggage, neatly sorting all the different items, while the two thoroughly recounted what happened outside. Dahyun's disappointment for the lack of rope was quickly taken care of by a huge pack of Chocopies, thrown in her face by a giggling Chaeyoung, and any residual anger Jihyo might have had, completely dissipated as soon as she eyed the pricey bottle of soju that was sticking out of one of the backpacks. She swiftly grabbed it, placing it up on the window sill for everyone to see. "This is for tonight!" she announced, eliciting a few chuckles from the room "We sure as hell deserve it!"

Sana and Tzuyu took it upon themselves to bring all the food to the small kitchen, with Dahyun trailing shortly behind them, attempting to make herself useful and failing miserably, as her hands (and mouth) were full of Chocopies that she absolutely wouldn't let go.

"Just go back to the studio and eat, unnie." Tzuyu sighed, glancing at the older girl who was struggling to keep all the snacks in her arms, while simultaneously trying to unwrap a second one to eat. "Are you sure Tzu? If you give me a second..." Dahyun grunted, focused on her beloved sweets.

"Go, Dahyunnie." Sana cut in, leaning over to give the younger girl a kiss on the forehead. At that, Dahyun blushed slightly and headed out of the room without protesting.

Tzuyu slowly shook her head, as she placed row after row of canned food in the small pantry. Sana crouched down next to her, handling a few bags of rice that looked way too heavy for her. Tzuyu immediately stepped in to help her, grabbing the sacks and easily moving them up and into the pantry.

"Thanks, Tzuyu-yah." Sana chirped, offering the younger girl a wide smile. Tzuyu smiled back, although somewhat sadly. "That's all I can do, unnie. It's okay."

The older girl tilted her head quizzically, scanning Tzuyu's face. "But, that's not true?" she said perplexedly, as she settled down on the floor next to the younger girl, who clearly didn't share the same opinion.

"I'm pretty much useless here." Tzuyu murmured shyly, feeling Sana's gaze on herself. "In addition to Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon unnie, who are risking their lives outside, all the unnies are doing so much to keep us all safe and comfortable." she lowered her eyes, fumbling with her hands. "I'm just being cuddled and pampered. I'm not really contributing to anything. All I can do is reach the higher shelves and help out with the cleaning." she paused for a moment, finally lifting her gaze to meet Sana's. She was expecting a pat on the head, maybe a hug, and some cooing from the older girl, as that was Sana's standard response to pretty much anything that involved Tzuyu.

Instead, Sana was simply looking at her, with an unreadable expression. A few seconds passed, before she exhaled deeply, smiling cheerfully to herself. "You know, I've been feeling the exact same way ever since we locked ourselves in here. Except for the high shelves part..." she chuckled lightly. Tzuyu straightened her back, surprised at the sudden confession.

"I was talking to Nayeon unnie the other day." Sana continued "She was telling me how useless she felt, and how much she wished she could do more to help. Then Mina came to me, saying the exact same thing. Then Dahyun, just this morning..." she looked up at the ceiling, gathering her thoughts. "That's when I realized that we all feel the same way. We all believe our members are doing all the work, and we forget that we are part of the team too. Every person here needs us just as much as we need them. That's how we work as a group. It's ironic how easy it is to forget that sometimes." She shot Tzuyu a bright smile, making the younger blush lightly at the intensity of her gaze. "You're _not_ useless, Tzuyu-yah. We all need you here."

Tzuyu reflected on Sana's words for a few seconds, reciprocating her stare, before nodding pensively. Perhaps Sana was right, after all. If the other members needed her presence even just a fraction of how much she needed theirs, then her concerns were unwarranted. She _was_ contributing to the group, in her own way. She wasn't useless.

"Thank you, unnie." she replied earnestly, breaking into a smile. At the sight of her genuine happiness, Sana couldn't hold back and wrapped up the younger girl in a tight embrace, smothering her with kisses and cuddles, giggling away.

" _Ah_ , here it is." Tzuyu said to herself, giving in to the older's affection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is safe and sound again, and 2yeon are cute.
> 
> Coming next: ...maybe not as sound as they thought they were.
> 
> Also: Thank you so much for 100+ kudos!! (/^-^)/ *:･ﾟ✧  
> I'm really really glad you guys are enjoying my story!


	10. February 29, 2020 - Day 13 (part 3)

That night was going to be quite different from the usual routine. Nayeon and Jihyo decided to throw a little party, to celebrate Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung coming back safe and sound, and their newly-stocked pantry. Besides, as Jihyo had put it, they deserved a few hours of mindless fun to unwind and wash out all the stress of the past thirteen days.

"Plus, that bottle of soju isn't gonna drink itself."

The prospect of being able to spend a somewhat lighthearted night, after all they had been through, worked wonders in boosting everyone's mood. Even Momo, despite her persistent sulking, wasn't opposed to the idea of having a few drinks and chilling a bit. After all the unpacking was done, and the brand new arsenal of knives and forks was revealed, her mood was even better. _Finally_ , proper weapons to slaughter zombies with. She made eye contact with Jeongyeon, as the older girl was stepping out of the room to take a shower, and simply said 'Tomorrow' with a poignant look. Jeongyeon frowned slightly but nevertheless nodded, giving Momo her icing on the cake for the night: the next day she would be out in the building, finally getting some of her pent up frustration out.

As the afternoon was coming to an end, red and orange hues leaving their place to dark purples and blues in the small sky outside the studio window, Momo was panting her way through her eleventh set of sit ups. Being in a gym, no matter how small or ill-equipped that might be, was one of the few things that would work in keeping Momo calm and grounded, even during her worst times. No matter how bad her thoughts would get, how tired she was, or how desperate the situation, the familiar rush of endorphins was like a balm to the japanese girl, soothing her restless mind and providing her with an outlet through which to let go of her worries.

Momo stopped for a few minutes to catch her breath, quickly resuming her activity just as energetically as before. _Yeah_ , exercising worked well. Being locked in a building for almost two weeks while outside a literal zombie apocalypse unfolds, however, was still a bit too much to handle by simply doing a few push ups. Momo was well aware of that, as countless beads of sweat rolled lazily down her face and neck, staining her shirt, making her eyes burn.

She eventually got up and left the small room to go shower, thinking about the upcoming night, cheeks still flushed from the effort. As she was approaching the restroom she ran into Chaeyoung, who had just finished showering. Although she was fully dressed and mostly put together, she looked absolutely exhausted, eyes slightly red and heavy eyelids.

"You did really well today" Momo praised, ruffling the younger's wet hair. "You should go to sleep now. You look tired." Chaeyoung was about to say something but was cut off by Mina, who was suddenly next to her, rubbing a hand in circles on her back.

"Not before she has a proper dinner. She hasn't eaten much today, and she needs to get back the energy she spent this morning."

Momo's gaze shifted between the two girls, observing how Chaeyoung immediately leaned into Mina's touch, meekly swallowing back her protest, giving the older girl half a smile before being gently dragged to the recording studio.

Momo stood alone in the corridor for a few seconds, before quietly strolling to the restroom.

\----------

The evening started with the girls all sitting on the floor in a circle, joking and laughing about nothing, revelling in the delicious spicy smell that was coming from the food court.

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung had agreed not to tell the others about the note and the walkie talkies yet, letting the members enjoy a peaceful night with no mention of anything zombie-related. Jeongyeon had insisted instead on cooking dinner for everyone, taking advantage of the newly-obtained ingredients to make a big pot of budae jjigae, much to everyone's delight. Jihyo offered to help her out, hovering around the kitchen to give her a hand when needed, gathering plates and cutlery, chatting away.

As soon as the steamy pot filled with stew made its entrance in the studio, all banter immediately stopped, replaced by the frantic noises of eight people digging into their plates with unmatched enthusiasm. Chaeyoung was so sleepy that despite the heavenly smell she didn't even attempt to lift her spoon. She stayed snuggled up against Mina's shoulder, dozing off, eyes threatening to shut every now and then, as the older girl did her best to feed her, in a sweet reversal of roles from the week before.

Soon enough the bottle of soju was brought to the center of the circle, Sana and Jihyo passing shot glasses around with a pleased grin, cheered on by the girls. One bottle wasn't nearly enough alcohol to get nine people drunk (especially if one of those people was Park Jihyo), but it was still something, and everyone gave a round of applause when Jeongyeon got to drink the first shot, smiling widely. After that it was a matter of time before things got messy, with Nayeon and Jihyo laughing loudly, Sana giggling away with Dahyun, and general chatter from everyone filling the room.

As comforting as it was, seeing her bandmates finally spending a normal night all together, Mina decided it was time for her and Chaeyoung to go to sleep. The younger girl couldn't even keep her own head up anymore, pretty much already asleep in Mina's lap. The japanese girl excused herself from the group, while Nayeon helped bring a couple of cushions away from the studio and into one of the vocal practice rooms, so that the pair would be able to sleep cozily away from all the noise.

After a quick peck on the cheek from a giddy Nayeon, Mina was left alone in the room, a sleeping Chaeyoung already snoring on the floor. She sat next to the younger girl for a few minutes, letting her gaze wander around Chaeyoung's features, taking in every detail like she might disappear at any moment. In a way though, that _was_ the case, wasn't it?

Mina stepped out of the room for a bit to get ready for the night, before quickly making herself comfortable in the makeshift bed next to Chaeyoung. She didn't forget to take her medication and lightly press a migraine stick to her temples, letting the soft lavender smell linger in the air, as she covered both Chaeyoung and herself with a long winter coat. It was her turn now to gently stroke the younger's hair, watching her sleep peacefully, while murmuring a barely audible 'Sweet dreams, Chaengie' in her ear.

\----------

First thing as the japanese girl woke up, she noticed how somehow during the night they had shifted into a spooning position, Chaeyoung behind her, arms wrapped firmly around her stomach. Chaeyoung's face was buried into Mina's hair, her parted lips lightly brushing against the older's neck, her hot breath hitting her ear, causing all the hairs on her nape to stand up.

Mina slowly blinked a few times, eyes heavy, as she melted into the warm embrace, still half asleep. When Chaeyoung suddenly stirred in her sleep, groaning something incoherent and unintentionally planting an open mouth kiss on Mina's neck, the latter audibly gasped, now fully awake. She couldn't help her thoughts as they drifted towards a dangerous territory, the feeling of Chaeyoung's warm body pressed against her own, her soft exhales on her ear, and her toned arms holding her tight.

How ironic the whole situation was, and how out of place her feelings were. When all they had left was each other, how could she still be thinking about throwing caution to the wind and letting everything out? Even there, in the privacy of the small room, when she was supposed to take care of Chaeyoung and make sure she'd get her well-deserved rest, her whole body was all but _aching_ to just turn around and connect their lips in a searing kiss.

How could she possibly be so _selfish_?

Mina felt her eyes starting to well up, the familiar prickly sensation right behind her eyelids, as she pressed them shut in an attempt at calming herself down. She instinctively reached for Chaeyoung's hands, intertwining their fingers. The younger girl shifted slightly, inhaling deeply, pulling Mina flush against herself, lips parted in an almost silent whisper. "Love you, Minari..."

Mina tensed up, eyes wide open, as Chaeyoung's breathing evened out again, the latter fully passed out still.

This time she couldn't help her tears as they fell down her cheeks and nose, staining the cushion she was lying on.

"I love you too, Chaeyoungie."

She was so, _so_ selfish.

\----------

The door that lead to the studio was open when Mina shuffled her way to the wide room, eyes still a bit hazy, ready to greet the members and have some breakfast. What she wasn't expecting to see was Momo dressed up in full zombie-proof attire, talking animatedly with Jihyo, two huge knives slotted at her sides like swords. Jeongyeon was sat on the floor a few feet away, sporting the exact same outfit, focused on tying her combat boots while Nayeon looked at her apprehensively.

"Oh. Good morning, Mina unnie." Tzuyu greeted her politely, passing her a plate of food while the older girl kneeled next to her on the ground. "Where is Chaeyoung?"

Mina blinked a couple times, before answering. "She's still sleeping. She looked so exhausted, I didn't feel like waking her up yet."

Yeah, the younger girl appeared to be completely knocked out, not even flinching when Mina had got up to feel the cold air of the room suddenly caressing her skin. Leaving Chaeyoung was especially difficult that morning, if anything even just for the warmness that the girl was providing as they were snuggled up together, but Mina knew she needed to eat a proper breakfast and take care of herself as well. Chaeyoung had put so much effort into trying to ease her anxiety, bringing her back to her normal self, and making sure to eat and sleep well was crucial to that cause. Mina had to try her best too, she owed her that much.

"What's going on with Momo and Jeongyeon?" she asked, taking a spoonful of rice.

"Jeongyeon is taking Momo for a ride" Sana sighed, joining Mina on the floor. "They're going to search the building for zombies to beat up."

The three girls sat quietly, observing Jeongyeon as she firmly gripped her wooden baseball bat, mindlessly swinging it a few times as to get the hang of it. Jihyo finished fixing Momo's face mask, turning towards Nayeon with a nod. The pair bid farewell to the rest of the girls, receiving pats on the back and encouragements in return, before making their way to the fire exit, accompanied by Jihyo and Nayeon.

"Where's Dahyun?" Mina had just noticed the younger girl's absence from the room.

Sana smiled brightly, resting her head on Tzuyu's shoulder. "Don't worry, she's already greeted Momo and Jeongyeon unnie. She's in the room next door." After a questioning look from Mina, she smiled even wider. "We're working on something" she chirped, not adding any detail to her answer. Tzuyu glanced at Mina, simply shrugging, and the japanese girl decided not to investigate further.

Jihyo popped her head through the door frame, briefly notifying everyone that she would be spending some time in the gym by herself; Nayeon was back shortly after, eyes slightly watery, clearly still not used to the sight of her girlfriend leaving for the unknown.

Sana left Tzuyu's side to meet the older girl at the door, sliding an arm around her waist, whispering a few words of reassurance. Mina thought about Chaeyoung, silently thankful to have her in the safety of the third floor, resting peacefully on the big soft cushions.

She eventually got up from her spot on the floor, deciding that it was time for the younger girl to have breakfast as well. As soon as she stepped into the small practice room she was surprised to see Chaeyoung still sound asleep, soft snoring rhythmically escaping her parted lips. She got down on her knees next to her, gently shaking her shoulder to wake her up. Chaeyoung didn't even open her eyes, still passed out, instead she frowned slightly, a shiver making its way down her whole body.

That's when Mina realized something was wrong.

She hesitantly placed a hand on Chaeyoung's forehead, gasping at the heat that was radiating from the young girl. She was _burning_ _hot_.

Mina felt her heart pound wildly in her chest, as she slammed the door open and ran out the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Momo + knives = ?
> 
> Coming next: nothing really goes as expected.


	11. March 1, 2020 - Day 14 (part 1)

As soon as they were on the other side of the fire exit Momo reached for her knives, only to be stopped mid-action by a glaring Jeongyeon.

"No need to get those blades out yet" she muttered "You might hurt yourself, drop them, or they might get in the way if we need to run." Momo scoffed but nevertheless complied, letting the older girl lead the way towards the staircase.

"So, we're going to have a look around the fourth floor, to start with." Jeongyeon whispered, as they carefully made their way up the stairs. "There shouldn't be too many people around the building, but we won't know for sure until we go through each floor. Don't ever let your guard down, those zombies can be sneaky." She thought back to when one of those creatures almost bit her ear off, and shook her head. Yeah, still pissed off about it.

Momo's gaze wandered around the stairwell, taking in every detail like it was her first time seeing it. It had been less than two weeks since the last time she'd walked those same steps, but it seemed like months had gone by; the building looked almost alien to her. She clenched her jaw, keeping her hands close to her knives, fingertips brushing against the handles.

When Jeongyeon reached the door that would lead them to the fourth floor, she turned to face Momo, a few steps behind her.

"Ready?" The younger nodded, eyes fixed on the door.

Except that she wasn't.

It didn't matter how angry Momo was, or how eager to kill, because nothing could have prepared her for what she saw as soon as the door was opened.

Someone _was_ in the building, after all. If not for their face masks, both Jeongyeon and Momo would've thrown up on the spot. There were bodies _everywhere_ , or at least, what was left of them. At least thirty corpses were scattered around the hall, dried blood splatters staining the walls and ceiling. The smell was something neither girls had ever experienced, so overwhelming that despite her thick face mask, Jeongyeon had to lean on the door frame for a few seconds to stop herself from gagging. She had seen dead bodies before, when she was out in the streets with Chaeyoung, but they were mostly far away and she had been able to keep her focus elsewhere to get on with her mission. This time around, there was no way she could escape the sight of broken bones and decomposing organs, spilling out on the floor in front of her.

Momo in the meantime, felt shivers run down her spine. Her heartbeat picked up, and she started to sweat. That was the world outside. She had been hoping, despite everything, that things could get back to normal somehow. As gloomy as she had been, that thought was always in the back of her head, keeping her sane, keeping her grounded. Things were bad, but they would improve eventually. Right? They _had_ to.

Standing on the door frame, an entire hall filled with dead bodies in front of her, something clicked in her mind, and everything was clear.

She was alive out of sheer luck.

Heechul was probably dead.

Things would _never_ get back to normal.

\----------

Jihyo was in the middle of her second set of squats, when someone came barging into the room. She had barely any time to recover from her fright, before a panicked Sana locked eyes with her. "Something's wrong with Chaeyoung." Jihyo didn't even hear the full sentence, wasting no time in grabbing Sana's arm and dragging her out of the gym, towards the studio.

When she got there she found everyone gathered in a circle, with Mina in tears clinging to Nayeon, and Tzuyu animatedly discussing with Dahyun.

"What's going on? What happened to Chaeyoung?" Jihyo stepped up, scanning everyone's face.

"I- I think she's sick" Mina managed to say between sobs "She's burning hot, a-and she won't wake up..." Nayeon glanced at her leader, pale as a ghost. "She's been _outside_ , Jihyo-yah."

Dahyun almost pulled her neck with how fast she turned around, face flushed, as Tzuyu held her hand. "It can't be that, unnie! She wasn't bitten!" she practically yelled out, clearly frustrated at what the older was insinuating.

"She was fine before her last outing! We can't exclude any possibility, Dahyun-ah!" Nayeon retorted, and what she was saying made perfect sense, just not to Dahyun. _No_ , it couldn't be.

"We don't know what it is, okay? Everybody _calm down_!" Jihyo walked up to Mina, doing her best to think rationally. She placed a hand on the younger's shoulder, gathering all her composure. She couldn't afford to look scared in front of the members, now more than ever.

"Bring me to her. We'll measure her temperature, to start with." she then turned to Sana, putting on her best stern look. "Search the medical supplies we have, get us a thermometer and some paracetamol. Everyone else stay here. If it's... _Contagious_ , it's best not to crowd around Chaeyoung too much."

The girls all nodded, and Sana made a run for the restroom, where they kept all their meds and first aid supplies. Mina held Jihyo's hand tightly, still shaking from her sobs, as she lead the older girl to the vocal practice room. Sana caught up with them shortly after, carrying the requested items in her hands. The three of them hesitantly entered the room, greeted by the sight of a sleeping Chaeyoung on the floor. The girl was pale, her forehead shiny with sweat, and she was visibly shaking despite the big coat wrapped around her body.

Jihyo kneeled next to her, gently placing the thermometer on her temple. When the machine beeped, she took a deep breath, her fingers tapping rhythmically on her thigh. 38.4°. That wasn't good.

"Okay. Sana-yah." The japanese girl flinched at the sudden call. "Hand me the paracetamol, please. Could you also fetch us a glass of water?" Sana fumbled with the box, nodding nervously, as she took out one of the tablets and promptly sprinted out the room.

"We'll try with this for now" Jihyo said calmly, "and see how she reacts." She gently shook Chaeyoung's shoulder, putting a little more energy when the girl didn't budge.

Chaeyoung was eventually pulled out of her slumber, waking up with a terrible headache and something burning in her throat. She coughed out a couple times, not really sure where she was, her head feeling heavy and cloudy. She felt something cold press onto her lips, and she recognised it as a glass. She downed the whole thing in a matter of seconds, in an attempt to ease the burning sensation that was bothering her. Right after doing that, a familiar touch helped her get back to a lying position, cold fingers soothingly rubbing her temples. She almost immediately passed out, muttering a barely-audible "Thank you" to whatever undefined entity was being so nice to her.

\----------

Momo observed Jeongyeon, as the older girl stumbled in front of her. She was still leading the way, despite being evidently shaken by what was all around them. The hand she had wrapped around the baseball bat was trembling, and her knuckles were white. She cleared her throat once.

"There's gonna be zombies in here. Get ready." she muttered, her voice sounding distant and frail.

They were walking extremely slowly, to avoid stepping on the bodies as much as possible; still, their shoes were already stained brown and red, the mess on the floor impossible to avoid.

The hall was nothing but a big room that connected the stairwell to the fourth floor, which was mostly full of cubicles and conference rooms. _Those_ were going to be the scene of the inevitable showdown. Momo drew her knives, and screw whatever Jeongyeon would say. It was time to fight.

She was proven right as soon as they reached the end of the hallway, peeking into a big open space office, desks and chairs scattered around the ground. The first zombie was already onto them, all but diving head first on Jeongyeon, who expertly deflected its attack and smashed its skull open with the bat.

The girls didn't even have time to process what was happening. In a matter of seconds, three more creatures were running towards them, eyes sunk and hollow, mouths wide open biting the air. Momo stepped in front of Jeongyeon, adrenaline rushing through her veins, enough to make her dizzy. She planted both knives inches deep into a zombie's face, immediately pushing the creature away with a brutal kick to the ribs, turning to face the next one. Jeongyeon would have been impressed by the younger's aggressiveness, if not for the mass of limping undead that was moving to surround her. Her bat swung fast and heavy through the air, breaking bones and sending blood splatters everywhere. The creatures kept coming, and the girls silently thanked whoever designed the layout of the building; the hall entrance was narrow enough to prevent the zombies from spreading all around them, coming almost neatly from the front instead.

Momo was on fire. Her knives slayed throats and stabbed relentlessly, the noises something neither girl had ever imagined to hear in their lifetime. So, _those_ were zombies. Disgusting, foul, abhorrent creatures, only driven by an unexplained will to bite and kill. Momo reflected on that, as one of the creatures attempted to jump on her, only to be met by the unforgiving steel of the huge butcher knives. Suddenly she heard a scream, and turned to witness a zombie practically _chewing_ on Jeongyeon's right arm. Her bat was on the floor, covered in blood, and her face was contorted in pain. The japanese girl rushed to her side, swiftly decapitating the creature on the spot, moving immediately after to pry its mouth open and release its grip on the older's arm.

" _Fuck_ ," Momo panted "did it..."

"No, the coat stopped the teeth. But it hurts like hell." Jeongyeon grimaced, as the younger sighed in relief. That was close.

Only a few creatures remained, mostly the slower ones that hadn't reached them as fast as the others. In a few minutes the commotion was over, as abruptly as it had started.

Momo and Jeongyeon found themselves standing motionlessly in front of the hallway, both still trying to process what had just happened. The older girl seemed especially affected, face covered in beads of sweat, pale and shaky. Her eyes had never looked wider.

Momo was the first to move, curiously making her way through the office, absent-mindedly kicking a chair out of the way with the tip of her boot. Everything was still there, but not much was useful. Computers and phones weren't working, and it's not like they needed that many pens and notebooks at the studio. There were a couple of vending machines however, and Momo wasted no time in kicking the glass panes open to grab all that was left inside and stuff it in her pockets.

She checked the restrooms and the conference rooms, finding one single zombie that somehow hadn't noticed their presence. A couple of swings and it was on the floor, a small ripple of blood lazily dripping from its mouth.

The fourth floor was clear.

\----------

Lunchtime came by, and the girls were unsure whether to wait for Jeongyeon and Momo or not. Things had definitely got heated upstairs, if the stumping and rattling that were coming through the ceiling were any indication. Jihyo eventually decided to get it over with and just eat, with none of the girls raising any complaints.

All sat down on the floor in a circle, but despite the delicious smell of stir-fried rice filling the room, the air was heavy. Even ignoring the frightening sounds that had come from the floor above them, there was still Chaeyoung to be worried about. Mina was on the verge of tears as she silently ate her food, while Nayeon couldn't stop tapping her fingers impatiently.

That's when a sudden noise made them all wince and turn towards the door, Jihyo already up and ready to fight. Chaeyoung was timidly standing next to the door frame, half-lidded eyes, the big coat draped on her shoulders like a cape.

"I... I woke up with the smell of rice" she started, immediately interrupted by a coughing fit. Shivering, she blinked a few times and looked at the girls on the floor. "I'm kinda hungry..."

Mina was immediately next to her, fixing the coat so that it wouldn't slip off the younger's shoulders. Jihyo and Nayeon looked at each other, before the latter went up to Chaeyoung with a face mask in hand. "Thanks, unnie." the girl mumbled, stifling another cough. Then she realized that nobody was saying anything. The girls were all looking at her like she had grown two heads.

Seeing her confused expression, Jihyo cleared her throat. "Chaeng, how are you feeling?"

The younger rubbed her eyes with her knuckles before answering. "Like crap. But it was worse this morning. I couldn't even get up." Tzuyu and Dahyun hesitantly went up to her, scanning her face.

"Uhm, we're glad you feel better Chae. But, huh... Are you sure you feel... _alright_?" Dahyun seemed almost embarrassed when she spoke. Chaeyoung had a fever and a headache, and it took her a minute to realize what the elder was actually asking her.

"Wait" she turned to Mina, who was also staring at her, and then back to the others. "You think I'm... _Infected_? Like I'm going to turn into a zom-" Another coughing fit, but this time there were a few chuckles mixed in.

"I'm not turning into a zombie, what the hell!" she rasped, feeling Mina's hand gently patting her back. "Jeongyeon unnie and I didn't even get close to one of those, last time we went out."

"That's what I said!" Dahyun chimed in, happy that her earlier reasoning was being backed up. Sana patted her head, somewhat sighing in relief. Jihyo firmly held Chaeyoung's shoulder, frowning lightly. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Chaeyoung-ah?"

The younger slowly nodded, coughing again. Mina placed the palm of her hand on Chaeyoung's forehead, feeling the heat radiating from the younger girl. "I think Chaeyoungie might have got the flu" she said softly. Jihyo briefly nodded, finally taking in that they were, in fact, not going to have a member turn into a zombie. She was about to speak when Nayeon simply pulled Chaeyoung towards the door, gently holding her waist. "Either way Chaengie, you're sick. So all you're going to do now is stay in bed and rest. We'll bring you food in a minute, okay?"

The younger girl was too weak and dozy to complain, and meekly followed Nayeon out of the studio, Mina trailing behind them.

Jihyo let out the biggest sigh of relief, feeling a weight being pulled off her chest. "Thank God..." She muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Now we only have to wait for Momo and Jeongyeon."

As soon as she finished the sentence, three short knocks came from the fire exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Chaeng is not going to turn into a zombie... Or is she?
> 
> Coming next: a change of perspective.
> 
> Also, a little announcement:  
> school is starting soon, and I will be very very busy with some personal stuff as well. Therefore I've decided to update a little less frequently, once every other week instead of every friday. Doing this will allow me enough time to do everything, while also making sure that I'm not rushing my chapters. If you have noticed, the last updates have been a lot longer compared to when I started, and I'd like to keep them that way. So all considered, I'd rather update less frequently than having to sacrifice length and/or quality.
> 
> So, I'll see you in two weeks with the next chapter! Stay safe everyone! (◕‿◕)♡
> 
> -Rin


	12. March 1, 2020 - Day 14 (part 2)

When she opened the door to let the two members in, Jihyo found herself completely speechless. Momo and Jeongyeon were standing in the stairwell covered head to toe in blood and guts, the latter looking like she could throw up at any moment. Nobody said a word as the two girls dragged their feet though the entrance, Momo absent-mindedly rubbing her shoulder while Jeongyeon shed her coat and boots, leaving them on the floor along with her baseball bat.

"Guys... _What happened_?" Jihyo finally managed to ask, still taken aback by the state the girls were in. "Are you hurt?" She kept shifting her gaze between Momo and Jeongyeon, who were both looking elsewhere.

"Lots of people." was all Momo muttered, as she discarded her bloody knives on the ground next to her shoes, before sitting down. "We're fine."

Sana, Dahyun and Tzuyu popped out from the studio to greet the pair, only to catch a glimpse of Jeongyeon wordlessly stepping into the restroom, before collectively gasping at the sight of the bloodied clothes and weapons scattered around the hallway. Sana was about to speak, but was cut off by a near scream coming from behind her.

" _What the fuck_!" Nayeon and Mina were standing at the opposite side of the hallway, just outside Chaeyoung's room. The older girl quickly caught up with the rest of the group, eyes wide, scanning Momo's body up and down. "What the fuck happened up there? Where is Jeongyeon?"

The japanese girl didn't answer, scratching the back of her head instead, completely ignoring Nayeon.

"She's showering." Jihyo turned to the older girl. "You should probably check on her... She looked a bit out of it." Momo's sudden snort made both girls flinch.

"That's one way to put it." she chuckled bitterly, eyes fixed on the restroom door. "The sight upstairs... Wasn't pretty. So much for a little practice round, huh."

Dahyun left Sana's embrace to hesitantly crouch next to Momo, careful not to step on the blood stains on the floor.

"Momo unnie..." she said softly, prompting the older girl to finally look up, for the very first time since entering the third floor. "What happened exactly upstairs?"

Momo stared at Dahyun for a good minute, while the rest of the girls stood silent around them, the only sound being the muffled splashing of water coming from the restroom.

After a deep sigh, Momo started to talk.

\----------

"This is much worse than we thought." Dahyun rubbed her eyes, still a bit teary after hearing Momo's recount. She was sitting cross legged on the floor, with Tzuyu huddled up against her. The younger girl was just as shaken, although able to keep a somewhat composed appearance, the only sign of her discomfort being her fidgeting hands.

"At least they're not hurt." She whispered. "It could've gone really bad." Dahyun weakly nodded.

"I think " Jihyo cleared her throat, getting the two girls' attention. She exhaled deeply, looking out of the window. "I think we need to check the entire building. We can't have all those _things_ roaming around in here. And on top of that..." She paused for a second, passing a hand through her hair, leaving it there as she leaned on the window pane. "We'll have to take care of the bodies. They can't just be left there to decompose. The building will turn into some sort of slaughter house."

Both Tzuyu and Dahyun shuddered at the thought. _Taking care of the bodies_? Handling corpses was something they never thought they'd have to deal with in their lifetime, and they were sure as hell not ready for such a task. Although to be fair, the past two weeks had completely turned their lives upside down, and nothing really seemed out of the ordinary anymore. Just... daunting, and scary.

Yeah, touching a dead body was definitely scary.

"I'll talk about this with the others, as well. As soon as they settle a bit." Jihyo mindlessly tapped on the window sill with her free hand. "The sooner we start, the better."

Tzuyu clasped her hands, stilling them. "Unnie?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think things will ever be okay again? Eventually?"

Both Jihyo and Dahyun stiffened a bit, and so did Mina, who had just entered the studio. Tzuyu held their gaze, not really looking for a specific answer. She didn't want to be reassured, or be told not to worry. She simply wanted to know. And Jihyo understood that.

"I don't know, Tzuyu-yah." she replied honestly. "I'm starting to think... It might have gone a bit too far to get back to normal."

Mina and Dahyun raised their eyebrows at the leader's bluntness, not expecting such a grim answer from the girl who had spent the prior two weeks trying everything to keep the group serene.

"That said, " she continued "things not getting back to normal doesn't have to mean that we won't be fine again. It might take some time, and a lot of effort, but... I believe we can get through this."

She lifted her head from the window pane, taking in the room and the girls around her.

"Just... I think we need to be more realistic about this situation. We've been hoping for someone to come rescue us, or the zombies to just disappear overnight. It's not going to happen. I've been extremely foolish, and now I realize that." The studio was completely silent. "We need a change of perspective. Nothing is not worth doing at this point, because if we stay like this, I'm afraid we're all going to die."

Dahyun's lips were trembling, and Tzuyu was as pale as Mina, now fully understanding the severity of the situation. It wasn't about surviving for a few days, or weeks, or months; it was about rebuilding an entire life for all of them, while hoping to one day be able to reunite with their loved ones, the ones that remained, that is.

The girls remained silent, the new information slowly sinking in. Mina softly cleared her throat.

"The knives are clean, Jihyo unnie. As for the bat " she crossed her arms, sighing "the blood penetrated quite a lot into the wood. I don't think it'll ever completely come off."

Jihyo briefly nodded, glancing at the girl one last time before resuming her gaze out the window. "Thank you, Mina. It's fine. I'll take care of the clothes in a minute."

Tzuyu released a breath she didn't know she was holding, while Dahyun closed her eyes, letting a few more tears roll down her reddened cheeks.

\----------

In the small practice room next door, Momo and Sana were sat on the ground, leaning against the wall, facing each other. The dismembered sofa was between them, as they occupied opposite sides of the room, much like a couple who had just had a fight and would refuse to be next to each other.

Sana had dragged Momo there as soon as she was out of the restroom, not giving her enough time to complain or push her away. Not that she would have been able to, anyway. Her arms and legs were impossibly sore from the previous adrenaline-filled battle, and at that point she was way too tired to fight back. All she really wanted to do was get something to eat, and sleep it all off.

Yet, there she was.

Momo was looking at the ground, hair still wet from the shower, water droplets lazily rolling down her shirt every now and then. Sana was staring right at the older girl, arms wrapped around her knees, only her nose and eyes peeking out of the tight embrace.

"I know you're not fine, Momoring." she spoke quietly. There was silence.

"I understand you need space. I get it." she sighed. Momo still wouldn't look her in the eyes.

"It's just... You're always shutting me out. You've been doing it since way before this, and now it's even worse." she tightened her grip around her knees. "I just want to know why."

Momo blinked a few times, before finally lifting her gaze to meet Sana's.

"It's hard for us too, you know?" Sana's voice cracked, although her eyes remained dry. "I want you to feel better, but I also... need my best friend." She looked so sad all of a sudden, so blue.

Momo stared at her intensely. She was one of the few people who got to see Sana like that, in her most vulnerable state, void of the cheerfulness she would normally employ to guard her feelings.

A part of her felt bad; Sana didn't deserve to be treated so coldly. Momo and her _were_ best friends, they had been ever since meeting on that plane to Korea many years before.

Still, something was off.

Sana's bubbly and easygoing personality was what helped Momo the most during her trainee days, when pressure and exhaustion would often get the best of her; and Momo's focused and hard-working attitude did a great deal in keeping Sana grounded and determined to reach her goal of debuting. They held on to each other, and became best friends in the process. Despite all of that, and all the struggles they had to overcome together, their respective personalities tended to clash sometimes. Sana was clingy and unafraid to be vocal about her feelings, while Momo was flighty, sulky and considerably more independent. It's not like they wouldn't get along, in fact they did, and hardly ever had fights. However, they never really learned how to deal with each other and their extremely contrasting ways of handling things. If an argument would arise, more often than not it would end up with Sana suppressing her emotions as to not overwhelm Momo, and the latter leaving for a while to avoid being too rough on Sana. Not much was accomplished this way, and throughout the years this behaviour only solidified, becoming a pattern that would repeat itself over and over. Momo developed the tendency to shut Sana out whenever she didn't feel like arguing, while the younger girl could only sit and wait until her best friend would suddenly come back to her, as if nothing had happened between them.

Sana didn't like it. In fact, she hated it. But as much as it was all extremely frustrating to her, she loved Momo like a sister, and was willing to follow the older girl's pace when it came to expressing her feelings, rather than doing it her way and risking hurting her.

In that room however, leaning against the cold white wall, surrounded by nothing but chaos and uncertainty, Sana broke down.

And Momo watched her crumble into pieces, swiftly getting up to wrap her arms around her body, holding her tight.

"I'm sorry, Satang." she murmured, as the younger girl cried her eyes out on Momo's already wet shirt.

And Momo cried too, for the very first time ever since the ordeal had started. She hadn't realized how many feelings she had been suppressing up until that moment, until they all came crashing down on her like a storm. Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, again and again, wetting Sana's hair and sweatshirt, making Momo shake and flinch between sobs.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, holding each other until no more tears were left, and their hands weren't shaking anymore.

The pattern was broken.

Though Sana was just happy to have been called "Satang" again, after such a long time.

\----------

The next room over, Nayeon was busy trailing her fingers through Jeongyeon's hair, gently lulling the younger girl to sleep. Jeongyeon's eyes were wide open, but the room was not there. Only bodies, piles and piles of bodies, were in front of her, surrounding her, making her shake uncontrollably. As her grasp on Nayeon's shirt grew tighter, turning her knuckles white, the older girl stifled a sob, glancing at her girlfriend's bruised arms and legs.

"I'm here, Jeongie" she whispered, and her heart completely broke at how the younger girl flinched at her words, as if she'd just been screamed at. Never in her life had Nayeon seen Jeongyeon like that, so tense, so _unnerved_.

"I'm here Jeongie, and I won't leave you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jihyo is ready to kick ass. About time.
> 
> Coming next: Dahyun needs help, and Sana is right there for her.


	13. March 1, 2020 - Day 14 (part 3)

The afternoon passed by in a haze. Nobody was talking much, barely looking at each other. The air wasn't tense as much as it was gloomy, the sky seemingly trying to reflect the general mood with a sudden downpour. All colours were drained from the city below, the rain leaving behind only grays and dull, stuffy blues. The building went almost completely dark, not much light reaching through the thick black clouds above, forcing the girls to stand next to the windows to be able to see anything.

Dahyun was especially annoyed at the lack of proper lighting, given the fact that her little project couldn't possibly be worked on in a pitch black room. She'd finally found something she could do to contribute, and there she was, once again feeling useless.

She found Sana's hand in the shadow sitting next to her, and squeezed it tight. The japanese girl responded by gently bringing her to sit on her lap, not doing much else aside from tucking a loose strand of hair behind Dahyun's ear every now and again. They were alone in one of the small practice rooms. It was somewhat peaceful, and although they couldn't hear the rain because of the soundproof walls, they could still follow the little droplets frantically racing each other across the window pane.

Dahyun rested her head in the crook of Sana's neck, her breathing evening out, completely melted into the older girl's arms. Sana started quietly humming, a barely audible melody making its way around the room, making Dahyun's eyes drop.

Jihyo had talked to the group, as soon as Jeongyeon and Momo were settled. Jeongyeon was looking especially rough, pale and dazed like one of the zombies, as she listened to what her leader had to say. Nevertheless she agreed to every word, and so did all the other girls (including Chaeyoung, who was briefly woken up to participate in the meeting, and promptly escorted back to bed by an apprehensive Mina as soon as it was over).

Dahyun couldn't stop thinking about it. Their life as they knew it was most likely over. Gone, faded away, much like a sweet dream you wish you could go back to as soon as you wake up. She had sacrificed so many things to build her career as an idol, and now it was all over. Their managers were dead, the company building was nothing but a den to hide within, while outside the city crumbled down in ruins. Her parents and brother were fine, as far as she was concerned, though the last time she heard from them was two weeks ago; a lot of things can change in that amount of time, _boy_ did she knew it.

What if they were all dead? Or turned into those... _creatures_. Forced to restlessly roam around the streets, reduced to mindless bodies driven only by an unexplained hunger for human flesh. She shuddered at the thought.

Sana felt her goosebumps, and held her closer to her body, swaddling her ever so slightly. That's when Dahyun thought about something else.

\----------

Chaeyoung woke up with a familiar hand shaking her shoulder. She inhaled deeply, stirring on the cushions, head feeling a bit hazy. When she opened her eyes, Jeongyeon's face was right in front of her.

"Jeong unnie." She croaked, moving to lift herself up into a sitting position. Jeongyeon pressed firmly on her shoulder, as to tell her to stay where she was. Instead, the older girl herself sat down on the floor next to the makeshift bed, briefly rubbing her nose with the palm of her hand, sighing deeply.

Chaeyoung's gaze wandered around Jeongyeon's face, noticing her paleness, her clenched jaw, and the haunted glint in her eyes. Suddenly she felt bad for not being with her, when it all happened. She was perfectly aware that her presence, or lack thereof, wouldn't have made a difference in what the older girl was forced to face, on the fourth floor. Still, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Jeongyeon, seeing how much pain and trauma were now painted all over her face.

"How are you feeling?"

The question was in Chaeyoung's head, but the voice speaking wasn't hers.

"I'm doing slightly better, I think. The pills are working fine in keeping my temperature stable." she was interrupted by a coughing fit. "I still feel like crap though."

Jeongyeon nodded, looking at the wall.

"Tonight I'll tell everyone about the walkies we found, and the note." She sighed, passing a hand through her hair. "I was planning on doing it during lunch, after getting back, but... Yeah."

Chaeyoung perked up, suddenly reminded of the three guys that were apparently out there in the neighbourhood, looking for survivors. "God, I forgot about that." She confessed sheepishly, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles. "You're right. We gotta tell the members about it."

"It's fine Chaengie, you were literally knocked out by a fever as soon as we got back." the older replied casually, frowning slightly. "Just... I wonder what the others will say about this."

"You think they'll be against it? Contacting these guys, I mean." Jeongyeon inhaled deeply.

"Jihyo seems more keen to be proactive now, but some members might not be on the same page yet. We'll see, I guess."

The younger girl nodded, suppressing a shiver. Jeongyeon was still staring at the wall, expressionless, as she got up. Her hand was on the door handle, when a voice stopped her.

"Unnie."

She turned to look at Chaeyoung, who was tucking herself under the big winter coat, making sure that all of her limbs were safe from the cold air of the room. She started to resemble a cocoon, a big oval-shaped bundle of quilted warmness, and Jeongyeon couldn't help but stifle a laugh, sniffling a little. "You look like a turtle, Chaeyoung-ah."

The younger girl ignored the comment, fixing herself into a more comfortable position.

"We'll be alright." she said gently.

Jeongyeon raised her eyebrows, slowly blinking a couple times. The stiffness was evident in her shoulders and neck.

"When I can stand up again, I'll help you out with the bodies." Chaeyoung calmly continued. "We'll get our building back."

If that sentence had come from anyone else, Jeongyeon would have scoffed at the mindless optimism, maybe even _screamed_ that you know, after you step in a hallway full of rotting corpses, things are a bit hard to consider 'alright'.

But with the sincerity with which Chaeyoung had spoken, the older girl had no doubts that it was what she genuinely believed. And in her dark, cat-like eyes, she could recognize the same quiet determination she had seen grow stronger and stronger throughout the previous weeks, ever since the day they ventured outside to find Mina's medication.

Chaeyoung meant every word, she really did.

And Jeongyeon could only nod, and allow herself to believe her.

\----------

"Unnie." the word came out muffled by Sana's sweatshirt.

"Hm?"

"You've had serious relationships before, right?"

The question came so out of the blue that Sana needed a minute to process what was just asked to her. She tilted her head, blinking a few times in confusion.

"I have, Dahyunnie. You know this." she stroked the younger girl's hair, playing with a loose strand. "Why are you asking me this, all of a sudden?"

Dahyun thought about what to say, but her mind was blank. Sana's smell was calming her down, almost easing her to sleep, but at the same time, it was making it difficult for her to focus on how to express what had been on her mind for the last few hours.

"How does it feel... To fall in love with someone?" she eventually said, making the older girl stop playing with her hair for a few seconds.

"Falling in love is... Scary, sometimes." Sana thought about her ex-boyfriends, and then Jihyo. She pushed her image as far as possible in the back of her head, clearing her throat.

"It's also one of the best feelings you can ever experience. Being so vulnerable, and honest, and _true_ with someone else, opening your heart to let that person in... It's just amazing. And being with that person, seeing the same love and affection reflected into their eyes, is even better."

Dahyun nodded, shifting in Sana's embrace ever so slightly.

"I've never been in love with someone, you know." she said softly, her voice now laced with sadness. "I always thought I would find a special person eventually, and I wasn't in a rush. So I put my career first, without question. I rejected every single boy that ever tried to even just flirt with me. I wasn't ready, I guess. I didn't want that yet."

Sana listened in silence, feeling Dahyun getting progressively restless in her embrace.

"Now though... I'm not sure it will ever happen. " the latter breathed out "I feel like... I've wasted so much time, and now it's all gone. I will never experience what being in a relationship is like. I will never even know... " her voice lowered, until what came out was barely a whisper "...what it's like to kiss someone."

Sana stopped moving, and so did Dahyun. Her cheeks were flushed, and she felt tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. She had been thinking about it for a while, and had finally been able to express her frustrations out loud. She felt somewhat better, although still deeply saddened.

That's when she felt Sana's hands gently pull her shoulders away, bringing her to sit right in front of her, only a few inches of cold air separating their faces.

"Dahyun-ah." she said calmly, and although the room was too dark for the younger girl to see Sana's face clearly, she could tell that her demeanor had shifted. There was a moment of silence.

"Unnie, would you show me... What it's like to kiss someone?" Dahyun's cheeks were almost crimson, and while the lack of lighting was masking the colour pretty well, the heat radiating from them was a dead giveaway. Sana felt it on her skin, and couldn't help but smile at the younger girl in front of her. Had she had a better sense, she would've said no. She knew Dahyun had never had a boyfriend before, and that was one of the reasons why, despite her constant teasing, flirting, and pecking on her cheeks, she never actually pushed herself further with the young girl. Truth was, Sana had thought about kissing Dahyun before. Just out of curiosity, nothing more. But she would've never dared, not when her little Tofu was so innocent and shy.

In that room however, away from the rest of the world, the very same girl sitting inches away from her, begging her to give her a taste of what love feels like, Sana felt selfish.

So she gently ran a hand behind Dahyun's neck, pulling her in.

_Soft._

_Warm._

That's what Dahyun felt first, as Sana's lips pressed against her own. Then everything went blank, except for the girl right in front of her. Her smell, her hand on her nape, her legs brushing against Dahyun's. She could feel everything, every little detail, every little touch.

Sana moved her lips slowly, giving the younger girl time to adjust to the new feeling. Dahyun responded, timidly following Sana's lead, until both of their mouths were dancing in unison.

They separated after a good minute, Dahyun's heartbeat even again, though her cheeks remained painted in a beautiful shade of red. Sana smiled, as the two girls rested their foreheads against each other.

"Thank you, unnie." Dahyun mumbled, her voice a bit raspy.

"It's okay, Dahyunnie."

Sana was definitely selfish.

\----------

The girls were all sitting down on the floor in a circle, the big studio barely lit by the sunset that was peeking through the dark clouds, giving back some colour to the city after the heavy rain. In the middle, two walkie talkies and a crumpled piece of paper were lying on the ground.

"You could have told us yesterday, you know." Nayeon sighed, tightening her grip on Jeongyeon's hand.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just wanted us to have a light-hearted night, for a change." the younger girl replied in a low voice. "After that, well... I forgot."

Both Tzuyu and Mina mouthed a barely audible 'It's okay, unnie', while the rest of the group stood silent for a few seconds. Jihyo cleared her throat, reaching to grab one of the walkies, as her other hand was busy tapping on the ground impatiently.

"Fine. Let's vote then." Everybody's eyes went to their leader, who held an unreadable expression.

"We can ignore this note and carry on with our lives," she started, glancing at each member with a stern look "or actually try and contact these people, and see what comes out of it."

"We've already been through all the pros and cons." Dahyun carried on. "At this point, I'd say we just go with our gut and make a decision." She turned to Sana, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Okay, everyone who thinks we should contact these guys, raise their hand."

With a soft rustling of clothes, eight arms were raised to the ceiling. Jeongyeon turned to plant a gentle kiss to Nayeon's temple, whispering a muffled 'sorry' to her displeased girlfriend. Nayeon simply nodded, staring at the ground without a word.

"Great. Who wants to do the honours?" Jihyo held the walkie up for everyone to see.

"You do it, unnie." Chaeyoung spoke softly, from her place nestled between Momo and Mina.

A low murmuring of approval filled the studio, and Jihyo wasted no time in turning the small device on, pressing the button that had the number 6 etched on it.

The room fell completely silent, as the first scratchy sounds left the small speakers, travelling through the cold air and bouncing off the walls. The girls all flinched in unison, when a sharp _clack_ was heard, followed by a metallic voice.

" _Hello?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Sana is right, or maybe she isn't.
> 
> Coming next: Mina and Sana reminisce of the past, while Tzuyu starts a life of crime
> 
> Also: Thank you soooo much for 200+ kudos!! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻  
> I'm super happy my story is being enjoyed by so many people ♥


	14. March 1, 2020 - Day 14 (part 4)

Sana nudged Jihyo, who was staring at the walkie talkie without saying a word.

" _Is anybody there? Over_."

Everybody held their breath, as she drew the device closer to her lips.

"Hello? I believe we've found the note you left in the convenience store. Over."

Some more scratching noises came from the speakers, before a second voice echoed loud and clear through the studio.

" _Jihyo sunbaenim, is that you?_ "

The girls all looked at each other in surprise, and suddenly something in Mina's mind clicked.

"It's Han! _Han Jisung_!" She jumped up from her spot, and if it weren't for Momo (that grabbed her arm just in time), Chaeyoung would've ended up falling face first into the floor. The latter blinked a few times, taken aback by the abrupt disappearance of the body she was leaning on just seconds before.

" _Fuck_ , are you sure?" Nayeon and Jeongyeon got up as well, scooting closer to Jihyo who was sporting a dumbfounded look. Before she could even reply, Nayeon snatched the walkie from her hand, pressing hard on the black button that was on the side.

"It's us! Jisung-ah! Is that you guys? Over!"

" _Nayeon sunbaenim! Yes, oh my God!_ " It didn't take more than two seconds for the rest of the girls to all be up and surrounding Nayeon, wide-eyed and incredibly excited. " _It's Jisung, yes! Are... Are you guys okay? Where are you? Over!_ "

Jihyo shushed the members' buzzing, taking back the device with a quick glare towards Nayeon.

"Thankfully we're all okay, Jisung-ah. We're barricaded in the company building, on the third floor. What about you? Are you with the rest of the group? Over."

A few seconds of silence went by, before some more crackling came from the walkie.

" _No, actually... It's only the three of us here. We... Uhm_..." from the quiver in Jisung's voice, Jihyo immediately understood that something was off. She decided not to pry, as that wasn't the time nor the place for such a heavy conversation to have. Instead, she swiftly changed the subject, not waiting for the boy to finish his sentence.

"Listen Jisung-ah, what building are you guys in exactly? Are you safe there?"

If Jisung had been taken aback by the sudden change of topic, he didn't show it. His answer came almost immediately, much clearer through the speakers.

" _It's the fourth building down the road, when you take the right from across JYP's. It's an apartment block, you can see a few rows of balconies from the street._ " he explained, as the nine girls listened attentively. " _We are safe yes, for the most part. It's not... It's not ideal, but we have food and medical supplies, and running water. So it works, I guess. Over._ "

Jihyo cocked one eyebrow at the rest of the girls, and they all quickly nodded. She didn't even need to ask, really. Not a chance they would leave the three boys out there all alone.

"That's fine, but wouldn't it be better for you guys to come over here? We have a lot of space to share, and honestly, the more we are, the safer we can be." she glanced briefly at Momo, who was pointing a finger at the ceiling, face expressionless. She carried on. "We are the only people in the building, and we have quite a few zombies running around the higher and lower floors. We were planning to slowly clear them all, and we could use your help. Over."

" _I... It would be great to be together, Jihyo sunbaenim_." two voices were speaking in the background, making it hard to understand Jisung's words. " _I know, just let me talk! Okay, we'll think about it. We're not too far from the company building, but it's not exactly a walk in the park. So... Give us some time to discuss. Over_."

Sana and Mina looked at each other, before the latter gently reached out her hand to Jihyo. The older girl passed her the walkie talkie without a word, quietly watching as Mina pressed on the button.

"Jisung-ah." she said softly. "It's Mina."

\----------

Dinner time rolled around, and the girls all gathered on the floor next to the window, getting the most out of the faint rays of light that were left lighting up the sky.

Mina had spent almost forty minutes talking to Jisung, as the rest of the group listened to them in silence.

Sana and her were the ones that had the closest relationship with the boy. During their trainee days, all of the girls had established some degree of friendship with the guys that would then grow up to become the members of Stray Kids; the boys would always do their best to sneak in some sweets or snacks for the girls, when they were forced to diet (earning Momo's everlasting gratitude), and the girls made sure to take good care of the boys, treating them like younger brothers.

However, among them only a few actually ended up becoming close, and those were Jisung, Chan, Mina and Sana. Jisung and Mina were both gentle-natured people, effortlessly getting along, while Sana and Chan easily bonded over their foreign origins and outgoing personalities. Nothing about their relationship could be considered romantic, but the four of them hung out fairly often, simply enjoying spending time together. Pretty much as soon as TWICE debuted as a group, their outings had to stop, the girls not having enough time to be around the JYP trainees that much anymore. Still they remained good friends, supporting each other through the many obstacles that the so-craved idol life would throw at them.

Hearing Jisung's voice, among all the chaos and uncertainty that was now a constant presence in her life, Mina felt like a tiny bit of security was placed back into her mind. It was also the very first time the girls had been able to contact anyone they knew, ever since their phones were rendered useless by the lack of signal. Needless to say, Mina and Sana weren't the only ones being excited by the prospect of a new addition to their group.

As the girls all ate their ramyeon together, they couldn't help but laugh and idly chat about the fortuitous encounter. Mina had done all she could to persuade Jisung to come over at JYP's with the other two boys, and he'd promised to give them an answer within the next day. However, everyone was acting like the guys were already there, discussing about their accommodation, restroom use, and everything in between.

That's how the evening went by, until the sun was completely gone and all the plates were empty. Mina was the first to leave the studio, quickly paddling her way to Chaeyoung's room (that's how the girls had been referring to it ever since the younger's illness was discovered. Dahyun even going as far as to draw a strawberry on a piece of paper, sticking it on the door with some tape). Chaeyoung had fallen asleep back when Mina was still talking to Jisung, and was subsequently carried straight to bed by an unbothered Momo, with Tzuyu trailing behind. She didn't get to eat her dinner like the rest of the group, but given her state she most likely wouldn't have been able to anyway. That's why neither Mina nor Nayeon protested, knowing that what the girl needed the most at that point was rest.

Pushing the door open as quietly as possible, Mina made her way to the cushions where Chaeyoung was sound asleep, soft snoring rhythmically rising from underneath the big winter coat. Despite the younger girl being sick, Mina couldn't bring herself to sleep away from her. What if Chaeyoung woke up in the middle of the night? What if she needed help, or medicine? No way she would leave her alone, even if that meant exposing herself to the flu. Besides, Mina had been sleeping next to Chaeyoung for a while at that point, and as much as it was hard for her to admit that, she had come to need the girl's warm and reassuring presence to doze off.

With a sigh, Mina slid herself underneath the coat, immediately soothed by Chaeyoung's steady breathing. She made a mental note to bring the girl some food first thing in the morning, and with that, she slowly gave in to her tiredness and fell asleep, lulled by the comforting scent of lavender mixed with strawberry shampoo.

\----------

Mina woke up in a pool of liquid gold, the morning sun smiling brightly at her through the window. Right next to her, Sana was gently rubbing her shoulder, her eyes as radiant as the golden light that was enveloping the room.

"Minari" she whispered, careful not to disturb Chaeyoung that was still very much sound asleep. "Jisung-ah called back!"

It took Mina a few seconds to properly snap out of her sleepy haze, though immediately sitting up as the boy's name was mentioned. She rubbed her eyes with her palms, before nodding quietly.

Sana watched in silence as Mina carefully slid out of the big winter coat, making sure to gently tuck Chaeyoung in before getting up, not protesting when the older girl quickly pecked her on the cheek as a good morning greeting.

"Are they coming here?" Mina asked, as soon as they were in the corridor, the door shut behind them.

Sana grabbed both her hands, a wide grin plastered on her face, not holding back her giggles when the younger caught on. They both jumped up and down on the spot, letting their happiness fill the air around them.

As soon as they entered the studio they found some of the girls eating on the floor, while Jihyo and Nayeon were up discussing animatedly, plates still in hand, not having bothered to finish their breakfast before jumping right into the planning for the upcoming arrival.

"I mean we have eight empty rooms here, haven't we?"

"One's for Chaeyoungie and Mina, so that's seven." Mina blushed ever so slightly behind her bowl of fried rice, while the rest of the girls simply nodded in agreement, like her sleeping arrangement next to the younger girl didn't even need to be questioned.

"We could all move to the practice rooms to be honest. Two in each one, and I can stay by myself. There would be three rooms left, one for each of the boys if they want." Jihyo was reasoning out loud, pacing up and down the studio with knitted brows.

"Having separate bedrooms would be great, but there aren't enough cushions to spread among eight different rooms. Giving two to Mina and Chaeyoung was enough to make our bed here a little more packed than it already was." Jeongyeon sighed, before immediately turning to Mina to halt her apology before it even started, a gentle touch on the japanese's shoulder enough to reassure her.

"We've been living here for two weeks now, it's about time we get ourselves something decent to sleep on." Momo spoke matter-of-factly from her spot next to Dahyun. "There has to be some place where we can find blankets, pillows and such."

"The only shop I know of that sells this stuff is in Itaewon..." Nayeon rubbed her temples, deep in thought.

"Well we could pick up what we need from someone's house."

Everyone turned to Tzuyu, jaws on the floor. Nayeon's eyes were comically wide, while Momo simply laughed out loud.

"We could _what_?!"

"Uhm, I'm not saying we should steal things from anyone." Tzuyu's cheeks flushed red under the girls' inquisitive stare. "But I don't think people will mind lending us some pillows... If they're, you know. Dead."

There was a moment of silence, broken only by the soft noise of spoons and forks meddling with rice.

"Yeah, Tzuyu has a point." Jihyo crossed her arms, glancing at the street below through the window. "A lot of people are dead, and that can only mean that many houses and apartments are now left vacant, including the ones in this neighbourhood."

"There's literally a whole apartment block right across the street!" Sana chimed in, jumping up from where she was sitting. "The one Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon unnie climbed on top of, when they came back from the pharmacy last week. It's so close!"

Jihyo stepped closer, her eyes now matching the japanese girl's enthusiasm.

"There's a fire escape on the side of that building, all we need to do is have someone climb on it and check through the windows to find an empty apartment." she glanced at the girls on the floor, where Momo and Dahyun were eagerly nodding. _How had they not thought about that sooner?_

"It's a lot simpler and safer than anything else we have done so far, and if it doesn't look safe enough we can always come back in a matter of minutes, with minimal exposure to zombies!"

Sana took another step towards the younger girl, gesticulating in excitement.

"We will also be able to easily monitor everything from up here, through the window! We'll have a clear view of the building, and using our walkie talkies we'll even be able to immediately alert the girls if we see something off!"

Sana and Jihyo stood motionless for a few seconds, inches away from each other, smiling widely at the newly-conceived plan. Everyone else erupted in a loud chatter, the girls all eager to share their opinions and ideas on how to proceed, but Sana couldn't really hear them.

She hadn't even noticed how close she and Jihyo had got, completely carried away by her train of thoughts. Her eyes darted to Jihyo's lips, as the air between them seemed to freeze in time.

The younger girl caught herself soon enough, immediately stiffening up and stepping back. She awkwardly cleared her throat and turned around, to find a smug Dahyun making a face towards an unbothered Jeongyeon.

"Having a rope wouldn't sound that dumb of an idea now, would it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sounds like a plan to me.
> 
> Coming next: Nayeon knows, and Jihyo breathes.


	15. March 2, 2020 - Day 15 (part 1)

"Are you really that eager to rob a house Momo? Seriously?”

Nayeon, Sana and Tzuyu were gathered around the Japanese girl, as the latter was buttoning her coat, knives to her sides, empty backpack thrown on her shoulder. Not paying much attention to Nayeon's comment, Momo tucked her pants tight in her combat boots, before stretching her arms with a grunt.

“I don't see the point of waiting, Nayeon-ah.” Jihyo made her entrance in the studio, just as geared up as Momo, a heavy baseball bat swung casually on her shoulder like she was just walking out of a sports club's afternoon practice.

“Yeah, I guess you don't.” Nayeon muttered, bumping shoulders with her leader as she marched out the room, eyes on the ground.

“Don't mind her, Hyo. She's still upset about Jeongyeon.” Sana said softly, glancing back to see Nayeon's shadow disappear in Chaeyoung's room.

“I know, and she has every right to be” Jihyo sighed, approaching the fire-break door. “What happened was...” she paused for a second, clenching her jaw.

“We'll be as careful as possible from now on, we don't want anyone else to go through something like that.”

As the two girls bid farewell to the group, Sana couldn't help but shiver a little. The thought of both her best friend _and_ the girl she had feelings for out in the streets surrounded by feral creatures wasn't sitting too well with her, but she made an effort to push it as far as possible in the back of her mind.

She held Tzuyu's hand, and both girls stood still in front of the emergency exit, not saying a word. It's like the younger girl understood exactly what Sana was thinking, though with Tzuyu you could never really know for sure. The Japanese girl didn't question it, simply staring at the fire-break door with a heavy heart, and a cold thumb rubbing gentle circles on the back of her hand.

\----------

Nayeon sullenly opened the door to Chaeyoung's room, still being careful not to make too much noise despite her anger. She found Mina nested between the cushions and the torn-apart sofa, one hand holding a small book and the other absent-mindedly threading through Chaeyoung's hair. The latter was fast asleep, occasionally murmuring something incoherent against the big winter coat she was tucked underneath.

Mina lifted her head as she heard the door open, gently nodding at Nayeon with a smile. The older girl made her way to sit on the floor next to the makeshift bed, curiously peeking over Mina's book.

“Where did you even find that?” she whispered, earning a quiet chuckle from the Japanese girl.

“It was wedged under the keyboard, one leg is shorter than the others apparently.” she held up the thin book for Nayeon to see.

“' _Guide to the best fishing spots in Seoul_ '?” She cocked one eyebrow, vaguely amused. “Interesting read, huh.”

“It's not the most thrilling book, I'll give you that. But I need to pass time somehow, and this is the best I've been able to find.”

Nayeon nodded, not convinced at all.

“You know Minari, you could always... Get out of this tiny room and have a walk around the floor, eat something, maybe hit the gym?” She gave Mina a moment to reply, but she didn't. “These are far better options than staying locked up in here all day.”

The younger girl lowered her gaze to meet Chaeyoung's sleeping figure, a smile creeping up on her lips without her even realizing.

“I can't leave Chaeyoungie here alone, unnie.” She stated matter-of-factly, resuming her silent reading. Nayeon inhaled deeply, shifting slightly in her place before speaking softly.

“Mina-yah.” the younger girl looked up again, finding Nayeon staring affectionately at her. “I think you should tell her.”

Mina tilted her head quizzically, but when the older girl held her gaze with a knowing look, not adding anything, she slowly understood. A pink blush crept up on her cheeks as she lowered her book, fidgeting with her hands.

“Is it that obvious?” she whispered, staring at her shoes.

Nayeon chuckled, resting her head on Mina's shoulder. “Let's just say I've been watching you crush on our little Chaengie for a few months now.” The Japanese girl let out a small groan, the blush on her cheeks deepening.

“It's alright Minari, you know the members are here to support you no matter what. And that includes helping you through whatever things you might be realizing about yourself.” Nayeon reached up with her neck to plant a gentle kiss on Mina's temple. “Both me and Jeongyeon have been through the exact same thing, I'm actually surprised you didn't talk to any of us about this.”

The younger girl sighed deeply, shifting into a more comfortable position. She placed one hand back on Chaeyoung's head, softly stroking her hair.

“I... Am still not sure about what to do, unnie.” she murmured.

“I know, Minari. And I probably shouldn't interfere with whatever is going on between the two of you, but then again, the world is going to shit. I almost lost Jeongyeon yesterday, and I guess that got me thinking.” she cleared her throat, as Mina silently nodded.

“Whatever you decide to do, I will be here to support you. Just... Consider this. You might not have as much time left with Chaeyoung as you think you do.”

Mina looked down at the girl sleeping peacefully on the floor, then up at Nayeon. The latter was biting her lip, a dark shadow evident behind her tired eyes.

“I'm aware of that.” Mina said quietly.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be that grim.”

“It's okay unnie, it's true. I know.” Nayeon nodded slowly, before getting up.

“I'll be with Jeongyeon if you want to talk. Please be careful and don't get this damn flu too.”

Mina quietly chuckled, scratching Chaeyoung's head. “Will be.”

She watched as the older girl exited the room, and her hand stilled.

Mina didn't move for a while.

\----------

“It's not that complicated, yes? You see a zombie, you smash its head with the bat.” Momo's tone was starting to give away her annoyance, as her and Jihyo got to the end of the stairwell. “Other than that, all you need to do is shut up and be quiet.”

She would've much rather been out with Jeongyeon again, though unfortunately Nayeon wasn't of the same opinion; Momo could have sworn the older girl was ready to rip her head off if she only _dared_ to bring up the subject of her girlfriend going out again. So she was stuck with Jihyo, who had been pestering her with questions ever since leaving the third floor.

“Very descriptive, thank you Momo.” Jihyo's voice was dripping sarcasm, but her face was pale and glistening with sweat. Her grip on the baseball bat was so tight her fingers were starting to hurt.

As a leader, her duty from the very beginning was to keep everyone safe and sound, healthy, happy and serene; and from the very beginning, that seemed to be exactly what she failed to do. They all needed to be proactive and get their place in the world back instead of hiding, but the realization had come way too late. Hadn't it been for Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon, who were determined enough to actually get something done despite her protests, now they would all be in a much worse situation.

She should've understood earlier. She should've done a better job protecting her members.

Nevertheless, there she was. Maybe she was late, but she had learned from her mistakes, and was ready to carry her group through hell and back, if needed. And right as she was thinking that, Momo stopped and turned around to face her with a sigh, one hand on the door handle of the ground floor.

“There's only one thing you need to do here, really.” Her eyes were pitch black.

“Don't hesitate. Cause the zombies won't.”

And Jihyo relaxed her grip on the bat, taking a deep breath.

“No. Not anymore.”

\----------

Being _outside_ wasn't as intimidating as Momo had imagined. Then again, after her first -rather traumatic- encounter with the harsh reality of a zombie-infested city, there wasn't much left that could impress her. She took in the grey sky above her head, filling her lungs with the crisp winter air. As absurd as it might sound, not having constant heavy traffic and a crowd of people around had turned the streets of Seoul into an eerily quiet place. It was peaceful in a way, calm. There was a stillness to it, that Momo couldn't help but appreciate.

Jihyo had the same exact thoughts, but shivered instead. It looked unsettling. It looked wrong.

The people walking around... If that's how they could even be called, they were nothing but ghosts. Empty shells, disfigured, hideous creatures. And the bodies, scattered across the streets, the pavement. Most of them were too deep into decomposition to have recognizable features.

It was a hard sight to withstand, but Jihyo held it.

Momo quietly gestured to crouch behind a parked car, while a small group of zombies leisurely made its way down the street. Exiting the building had been unexpectedly easy, the hall being mostly empty; the real challenge was finding a way to cross the road without being noticed, the small apartment block only a few feet away.

As Jeongyeon had instructed, they used a few stones as a distraction to get the zombies away from their hiding spot, before sprinting as fast and silently as they could towards the building. Jihyo was the first to spot the fire escape, barely visible from the front of the apartment complex, and nudged Momo who wordlessly followed her. Quickly enough they found themselves in a narrow alley on the left side of the building, where the metallic staircase was beginning its way up to the roof.

The girls checked on both ends to make sure nothing had followed them, and that's when Momo suddenly drew her knives, pushing Jihyo to the side.

“ _Where?_ ” was all the younger girl could whisper, before a limping shadow revealed itself a few feet away from them. The creature hadn't noticed the girls yet, judging by its slow and unhurried pace, but it was only a matter of seconds before the inevitable showdown. A fight right there, so close to the main street, was bound to draw a lot of attention from the nearby zombies, who would definitely be alerted of the girls' presence by all the commotion.

It had to be quick. One hit, zombie falls to the ground, they bolt up the stairs. And Jihyo knew that.

In a split second she ran towards the foul creature, swinging her bat so fast neither Momo _or_ the zombie had enough time to register what was happening. With one clean stroke the creature's head was completely ripped off from its body, the latter dropping cold to the ground, blood splatters flying everywhere.

Wasting no time, Jihyo ran back to grab Momo by her coat, roughly pulling her up the staircase. The Japanese girl was still very much impressed by her leader's quick thinking, but pulled herself together fast enough, sprinting up the metal ladder without looking back. They got all the way up to the top, with Jihyo turning around to monitor what was happening in the alley beneath them, and Momo running a quick lap around the roof to make sure nothing else was creeping up on them.

When they observed that only a few zombies had been lured in the alley by the commotion, and none of them seemed to know how or why they ended up there, slowly limping their way back to the main street, the girls sat down for a minute, catching their breath.

“You know,” Momo grinned “I like it much more when you let the bat speak for you, Jihyo-yah.”

\----------

“They're doing really well.” Jeongyeon tightened her hold on Nayeon's hand, sighing in relief. She was still deeply shaken by the latest events, unable to sleep for more than a couple hours at a time before waking up in a cold sweat, the unrelenting nightmares still vividly impressed in her mind. However, seeing that her members were getting progressively more confident and proactive was somewhat reassuring, giving her the tiniest peace of mind for what was yet to come.

“That's good to hear.” Tzuyu turned to glance at Sana, who was huddled up on the cushions next to her. The older girl simply nodded, rubbing her chin on Tzuyu's shoulder. She couldn't bear to watch, and had opted for taking a seat on the makeshift bed in the corner of the studio, with the younger girl not leaving her side for a second, immediately sitting down next to her.

Nayeon was about to say something, but was stopped right in her tracks by a dishevelled Dahyun barging into the room. “Please tell me we have another roll of duct tape here!”

The girls all turned to look at her, Sana and Jeongyeon being the only ones not sporting a puzzled expression.

“That was the last one, Dahyun-ah. We'll get more as soon as we hit the convenience store again.”

“But, Jeong unnie...”

“What do you even need it for?” Nayeon chimed in, her curiosity finally getting the best of her. “You've been locked up in that small room for days now, working on some 'secret project' with Sana. Would you mind telling us what it is exactly that you're doing?”

The Japanese girl chuckled, partly because she found Nayeon's annoyance amusing, partly because her and Dahyun's latest session in the practice room had included a little more than just her 'secret project'.

Dahyun turned to the bundle of cushions, only now aware of Sana and Tzuyu's presence. The latter could've sworn she saw a frown flash on Dahyun's face as soon as their eyes met, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

“I'm almost done, actually.” Dahyun said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. She looked up at Nayeon.

“Come, if you want. I'll show you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Badass Jihyo is here to stay.
> 
> Coming next: house robbing and bird watching.


	16. March 2, 2020 - day 15 (part 2)

If the echoing whang of the baseball bat against the window wasn't enough to get the zombies' attention, Jihyo's loud ' _Fuck!_ ' definitely was.

Momo and her scrambled up the metal staircase, throwing themselves on the rooftop with gritted teeth. They heard the tentative steps of the creatures below, followed by a few growls and incoherent noises. The two girls held their breath, listening carefully to the sounds coming from the alley.

“This is a problem” Momo muttered, as soon as the coast was clear.

“Yeah, I wasn't expecting unbreakable glass. Fuck this stupid building.” Jihyo replied, massaging her sore wrist. The girls stood up and glanced down at the staircase, deep in thought.

“Let's try with your knives, Momo-yah. See if we can pry the window open instead of smashing it.”

Just like that, the two girls were back on the fire escape, crouched on the platform right in front of the two fourth-floor windows. Momo pushed one of her butcher knives as deep as possible into the thin gap between the wall and the window sill, wiggling it a bit. She grabbed the handle with both hands, putting all her weight on it in an attempt to lever it up.

“Move, I'll do it.” Jihyo said simply, getting her bat ready.

“You're liking this a little too much” Momo chuckled, quick to move her fingers away from the heavy swing that came right after. The window sill popped up with a small 'crack', and the Japanese girl managed to catch the blade before it hit the staircase.

“Maybe.” Jihyo shrugged, although smirking at the older girl.

With a few pushes the girls were able to fully open the window, getting a clear view of the apartment on the other side. It didn't look exceptionally luxurious, but it wasn't bare either. It was fairly tidy, and most importantly, empty.

“Aw, it's bent now..” Momo whined, as they climbed through the small opening.

“You'll get some new knives from the kitchen in here, don't worry” Jihyo kept her bat firmly in her hands, looking around the silent living room they had just entered. The girls padded around the neatly kept sofa, slowly making their way through the apartment, checking each room and finally the front door, finding it locked. It was all clear.

They shut the window just in case, and eagerly proceeded to raid the bedroom for blankets, pillows and futons. Being in an actual house again after more than two weeks felt almost surreal, the lack of keyboards and music production equipment somewhat strange.

“Yah, look at this.” Momo hugged a huge teddy bear, shoving her face into its round belly. “I haven't felt anything this soft in such a long time.” Jihyo didn't really reply, avoiding her eyes and focusing on rolling a futon as tight as possible.

“What now?” Momo dropped the stuffed animal on the floor, sighing.

“Nothing, Momo-yah.” the younger girl finished with her task, struggling to fit the thick mat into her backpack. “It looks a lot like the one Daniel gave me last month for my birthday.”

Momo mashed her lips together, glancing at the teddy bear on the floor. _Right_.

She grabbed a couple of wool blankets from the wardrobe, sitting down to quietly fold them.

“You called him when the phones were still working.” she mumbled “He was fine, right?”

Jihyo stilled her movements for a second, absent-mindedly rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. “He was, yes.” She turned to look at Momo, who seemed slightly uncomfortable. “I know you weren't as lucky with Heechul oppa.”

The Japanese girl blinked a few times, stiffening up. She looked tired, all of a sudden.

“The worst thing is not knowing for sure.” Jihyo nodded.

“I'm sorry, Momoring.”

The girl didn't reply.

\----------

“It's a... _cage_?”

Nayeon was staring at the surprisingly wide structure, mouth agape, brows furrowed in confusion. Jeongyeon had stayed in the recording studio, walkie talkie in hand, monitoring the two girls outside, leaving the rest of the group free to follow Dahyun into her room.

“Kind of, but it's a little different.” the younger girl explained, stepping into the structure fully as to give a better view to the rest of the girls. “It's an enclosure.”

Tzuyu came up to Dahyun, slowly raising her hand to touch the wooden boards above her head. The construction was big enough to take up almost the entire practice room, with just enough space left for a person to walk around it -albeit with a bit of struggle. It resembled the frame of a building, if not for the fact that it was made out of mismatched wooden scraps and kept together with duct tape. Still, it was quite an impressive sight.

“Wait, where did you even find the wood?” Nayeon raised one eyebrow, eyeing the structure up and down in disbelief.

“Dahyunnie and I used up a few of the sofas.” Sana chirped, catching up with Tzuyu to rest her chin on her shoulder.

“Jeongyeon unnie helped us too. It took us some time but we managed to tear them apart and get most of the framing out.” Dahyun continued “I got a lot of splinters in my hands, but it was worth it.” she lifted her hands up, revealing a couple of band-aids and a good number of cuts.

Sana gently grabbed her wrist, bringing it up to her lips to kiss the scratched fingers. “You've done a great job Dahyunnie.”

The younger girl's cheeks tinted a deep crimson, her free hand gripping tightly the hem of her sweatshirt. She cleared her throat.

“It's not completed yet, but most of the hard work is done. I need at least one more roll of duct tape to finish the entrance here, and also a net...” she was interrupted by Nayeon, who impatiently gestured at the construction. “We get it Dahyun-ah, but what is the _purpose_ of all this? What are you gonna use this cage for?”

Sana and Dahyun exchanged looks, before the latter stepped closer to Nayeon, crossing her arms.

“Well, it all started when Chae brought up the cockroaches... I thought about getting some of them at first, but I mean, they're too small to experiment on and also I wouldn't even know where to find them around here.” Sana stifled a chuckle, turning away from Nayeon and Tzuyu who had the most comically horrified expression.

“But that got me on a different train of thoughts: what if we could get our hands on something different? And then I noticed the pigeons! There's so many of them around Seoul, now more than ever, with the traffic completely gone and a lot less people outside.” Dahyun carried on, ignoring the perplexed stares.

“That's when it hit me, what if we catch a bunch of them and keep them in the building with us? See, we've been living off of canned food and instant noodles for the past two weeks, but it's not going to last forever. Pigeons are basically flying chickens, if we manage to catch a few and build a place for them to live in, we can have a constant supply of meat and eggs. Also...” she ran to the side of the room, where what appeared to be a smaller version of the cage was lying in a corner. It was about as big as a cabin-sized suitcase, with a small circular opening on one side. Dahyun grabbed it and brought it back to the other girls, eagerly showing off the simple contraption.

“This is what we'll use to actually catch the birds. See this hole here on the top, that's how pigeons get in the trap. It's still not finished, but bear with me. If it works as it should, when the animal gets in is not able to get out anymore. A bit like a lobster trap, you know.” Nayeon and Tzuyu blinked a few times, speechless.

“Either way, whenever we catch something we can make sure it's not infected first, and then get them from this trap to the big cage, see? From here.” She tapped on the front of the big structure, where a rectangular-shaped hole was cut into the frame, covered by a few wooden planks, much like a rudimentary sliding door.

“And arguably the most important thing about all this: let's say we find a possible cure for the virus, or even just something that might be useful against zombies. We'll have a safe and easy way to test it, simply separating one pigeon from the rest of the group and keeping it under observation for a while as we conduct our experiments. It's perfect!”

The room feel into complete silence, Nayeon and Tzuyu staring at Dahyun without a word. The older girl brought her hands to her forehead, sighing.

“And Jeongyeon knows all about this, is that right?”

“Well, she helped me out without many questions, she's aware of what I'm doing but not the details-”

“It's not a cage, though.”

The girls all turned to look at Tzuyu, who was checking out the framework, looking somewhat defeated.

“...It's a coop.”

That's when Sana finally lost it, cutting Dahyun's offended reply mid-sentence with a loud snort.

“Ah, for fuck's sake...” Nayeon rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache starting to build up.

“Jihyo's gonna lose her damn mind.”

\----------

“One more, over there.” Momo followed Jihyo's direction, pulling out the runaway sweater from under the bed.

They were on their third round in the apartment, having found a considerable amount of much needed bedding that couldn't possibly be carried all to JYP's in one trip. There was still much more to bring back, a full pantry right there for them to take advantage of; but both Momo and Jihyo were starting to get tired, having spent almost four hours at that point collecting and carrying items up and down the road. So they had settled for one last trip, prioritizing clothes and weaponry over the rest, left behind to wait for another time.

At some point, the girls were almost tempted to leave everything where it was and simply move into the apartment, certainly more comfortable to live in than the company building. But they knew very well that the thick and soundproof walls of the third floor were crucial in keeping them safe and unnoticed by the zombies, so they carried on.

“That's it, I can't fit anything else in here.” Momo huffed, buckling the backpack shut with a grunt.

Jihyo jogged to the kitchen one last time before sitting down on the living room couch, cracking her spine with a pleased sigh. She waited for the Japanese girl to get ready, turning to look at her as soon as she entered the room, slapping her knees with both hands as she stood up.

“Alright. Let's get out of here.”

The two girls made their way to the window, only for Jihyo to suddenly stop with her hand on the sill.

“You know...” her expression was stern, although calm.

“Once we get our building back from those disgusting creatures, and things settle down a bit more... I want to get out and look for my family.”

The Japanese girl slowly nodded, without saying a word. Jihyo sighed, managing a half-grin towards the window.

“My sister, Seoyeon. She was at school when it all happened, I still don't know... If she ever made it home.”

It was obvious really, how all the members had family, significant others, or friends to be worried about; but that was the first time Momo truly realized that she was, in fact, not the only one in pain. She was lucky, even, having all of her family far away in Japan, most likely safe from the horrible nightmare that had unfolded in Seoul.

She stepped closer to Jihyo, tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder. The younger girl turned to face her, no trace of hesitation in her eyes.

“When the moment comes, we'll go together. I know it's been hard for you to not do anything for so long, and it's partly my fault. I'll help you find Heechul, whether he's alive or dead. That's a promise.”

Momo pulled Jihyo into a rough hug, burying her face into the younger's shoulder. It was quite uncomfortable with the backpacks in the way, but neither of them moved.

“Thank you.”

\----------

Despite Nayeon's concerns, Jihyo was surprisingly fine with Dahyun's pigeon breeding agenda, simply patting the younger girl on the head and wishing her good luck. But then again, it might have been because the girl was completely exhausted after almost five hours outside.

Momo and her had brought back an enormous amount of blankets, pillows, clothes and even towels, that were immediately distributed among the members. There were only three futons, though each of them could accommodate two people. Following Sana's suggestion, one went to Chaeyoung's room, replacing the cushions; one was given to Nayeon and Jeongyeon, so that they could set up their own small bedroom; and the last went to Momo and Jihyo, as they were the ones that had spent time and energy to get them in the first place.

After the usual routine -shower, changing of clothes- the two girls had their well deserved rest, catching up on their skipped lunch with a huge plate of stew that Sana and Tzuyu had made while waiting for them. Jihyo's eyelids started to drop before she could even finish her food, and was carried straight to bed by Sana, who had regained all of her cheerfulness as soon as the scouting pair had stepped back into the third floor safe and sound.

Nayeon brought her futon into one of he empty practice rooms, moving the keyboard and the chairs away to arrange a proper sleeping space. Jeongyeon trailed behind her, helping with what she could. Her arms and legs were still badly bruised, and incredibly sore; any movement would cause her pain, one way or another, so Nayeon had insisted she'd sit back and rest as much as possible.

When the futon was set, and the room cleared of any clutter, Jeongyeon sat down and stretched her arms open, inviting the older girl to join her. Nayeon huddled up next to her with a big smile, savouring her girlfriend's warmth.

Their newly-arranged bedroom was right in front of Chaeyoung's, so Nayeon observed as the door crept open, a sleepy-looking Mina padding her way out as quietly as possible. Inside, the sleeping figure of Chaeyoung could be seen, her chest rhythmically rising and lowering with each breath.

Mina was back shortly after with a plate of stew, a spoon, and a handful of paper towels. From her spot nested in Jeongyeon's arms, Nayeon watched as the Japanese girl gently woke Chaeyoung up, helping her to get into a sitting position. Her movements were delicate, cautious, and filled with affection. The way she looked at the younger girl reminded Nayeon of the way she used to look at Jeongyeon, before they were together.

That's when a memory of a long time ago hit her, making her frown.

“Something wrong Nay?” Jeongyeon trailed her fingers through the older girl's hair, causing goosebumps all over her scalp. Nayeon shook her head, turning around to face her.

“Jeongie... How can you tell when two people are in love?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Living that farm dream!
> 
> Coming next: Dahyun hopes, Nayeon wonders.


	17. March 3, 2020 - day 16

“ _Unnie.” Chaeyoung's voice could barely be heard from behind the closed door, a gentle knock coming right after._

“ _Yah, Chaeyoung-ah. Come in.” Nayeon kept her eyes glued to her phone, scrolling through the endless sequence of selfies. She had narrowed the choice down to ten pictures, but it was still extremely hard to pick the best one to post._

_It was only when Chaeyoung sat down on her bed, not saying a word, that Nayeon lifted her gaze. A deep sadness was evident behind the younger girl's eyes, and with that, there was also something else. Something unfamiliar, that didn't usually belong to the girl's soft features: tension._

“ _Is everything all right, Chaeyoungie?” Nayeon locked the screen and set her phone to the side, studying the girl's face._

“ _I... I think I like girls.”_

“ _Oh.”_

_Nayeon scooted closer to Chaeyoung, leading the girl to sit cross-legged in front of her._

“ _Because of your situation with Jeongyeon unnie, I thought... You could listen to me.”_

_The older girl took Chaeyoung's hands into her own, squeezing them tight. She understood all too well the struggle of coming to terms with your own sexuality, and she felt her heart swell at the thought that the younger girl could feel comfortable enough to open up to her about the situation._

“ _I'm really glad you chose to talk to me about this, Chaeyoungie. I've been there before, I know how scary and confusing it can be. But I'm here for you.”_

_Chaeyoung nodded, though her expression didn't soften._

“ _It's not really about being attracted to girls, I don't mind that. I had my doubts growing up, this is not the first time I wonder about being gay, or bisexual.” her tone was low, barely louder than a whisper. Nayeon tilted her head, somewhat taken aback. Chaeyoung wasn't worried about her sexuality at all?_

“ _Then... Why do you look so upset, Chaeyoungie? What is it that is troubling you?”_

_The room was silent for a good minute, the only sound being the chattering coming from outside the door, carelessly left ajar._

_Chaeyoung closed her eyes, fidgeting with her fingers._

“ _There is someone... I might have feelings for.” she finally admitted._

_And at that moment Nayeon knew what the girl was about to say, before she even started the next sentence._

“ _It's one of the members.”_

Nayeon shook her head, snapping out of her pondering. That was almost three years ago, and Chaeyoung always refused to tell her who exactly she had fallen for. The only thing that had come out of her confession was a much needed cry, and a few days of questions about the older girl's relationship with Jeongyeon. Within a month Chaeyoung seemed back to her normal self, brushing it all off as a harmless crush. It was never mentioned again, though Nayeon couldn't help but wonder, every now and then.

She looked at Mina through the two open doors, and then at Chaeyoung, whose eyes were glistening with gratitude and affection towards the older girl.

“Nevermind, Jeongie.” Nayeon turned to her girlfriend, snuggling closer, before the latter could answer.

“I think I already know, anyway.”

And she wondered, once again.

\----------

The morning after, pretty much everyone was in a good mood. Sleeping well, not being cold or cramped on a small surface, really worked wonders in giving the third floor an almost home-like feel.

Dahyun woke up sandwiched between Tzuyu and Sana, and spent a good fifteen minutes lying awake simply savouring the comfort and warmth of the two girls. She brought her hand up to grab a strand of Sana's hair between her fingers, gently playing with it, careful not to disturb the sleeping girl. Soon enough she couldn't help her thoughts, as they drifted towards Sana's lips, their softness, and how good they felt on hers.

It had become a regular occurrence for her to have such thoughts, ever since the night the two of them kissed. Dahyun didn't really know how to feel about what happened, her brain circling around the event over and over in an attempt to make something of it. _She_ was the one asking for a kiss, wasn't she? And that's exactly what she got. So why was she so freaked out about it?

Dahyun sighed, moving imperceptibly closer to Sana. She wasn't used to this kind of confusing feelings, and the way they made her act wasn't sitting to well with her either. Just the evening before, it had taken nothing more than seeing Tzuyu and Sana together for her to feel a sharp surge of jealousy, something she had felt ashamed of immediately after. It wasn't like her, and Tzuyu was just the sweetest, most innocent girl she had ever met; she didn't deserve one bit of her immature overreactions.

As for Sana... _Well_. Dahyun could only hope she wouldn't notice her turmoil, and simply carry on acting as usual; she didn't need awkward conversations or pitiful stares, on top of her already growing discomfort.

The girl was abruptly pulled out of her brooding by an aggressive-looking Momo, who slammed the studio door open with her foot, indifferent towards the three girls peacefully resting on the cushions.

“Yah, Momoring!” Sana complained, still half asleep, while Momo marched through the room, grabbing the boots she had been looking for.

Tzuyu groaned low, turning to the other side of the makeshift bed, trying to fall back asleep. Her attempt was rendered futile by Dahyun, who sat up and observed the Japanese girl moving around the studio. “Unnie... Are you going out again?”

Sana sat up as well, frowning at the words she'd just heard. Momo was indeed sporting the same exact outfit of the day before, the two butcher knives diligently slotted at her sides. She nodded, a wide grin plastered on her face.

“Jihyo and I will be up on the fourth floor for a while.”

“Yeah, we have some bodies to get rid of.” Jihyo entered the studio, fully dressed and carrying the largest knife the girls had ever seen.

Sana's eyes darted from one girl to the other, noticing how determined and eager both of them looked. There was something between them, a sort of nervous energy, that was palpable in the air. Excitement, almost.

Momo finished up tightening her shoelaces, swiftly getting up to hand Jihyo a big plastic bag, filled with what Dahyun recognized as a few bottles of bleach.

“Oh, by the way.” the leader stilled her movements for a second, kneeling next to the cushions to be level with the three sleepy girls.

“Jisung-ah called again earlier” she announced. “Him and the boys needed some time to arrange everything, but they're done with the planning. They will be here tomorrow.”

Sana's eyes lit up almost instantly, and Jihyo couldn't help but feel somewhat warm at the sight. She got up before starting to think too much, as that was something she'd promised herself not to do anymore. She quickly gathered all her things, looked Momo up and down to make sure she was all geared up and ready to go, and bid farewell to the group.

When she exited the firebreak door of the third floor, Sana's eyes were still shining.

\----------

The bodies were much worse than Jihyo had imagined. The _smell_ , more than anything, was what made her task difficult; even before stepping into the fourth floor hallway, she was overcome with the urge to turn around and run away, scared, overwhelmed and disgusted by what was in front of her.

Even still, she kept her head up and carried on. She got to the end of the big office space, and opened one of the windows.

Momo and her had considered a number of ways to get rid of all the bodies, ranging from setting them on fire, bringing them to the Olympic Park across the road to bury them, and even simply shutting the whole fourth floor off to let them rot where they were. All of those approaches presented a number of issues -the risk of accidentally setting fire to the entire building, to name one- and were deemed not suitable for the situation. Therefore, the girls opted for simply throwing the corpses out of the window.

Yeah.

It was by far the easiest and safest way to solve the problem, and despite it being somewhat disrespectful towards the unlucky people that had passed away in such a brutal manner, it was also the only way to actually clear the building.

Without much talking, the two girls got to work. They were both wearing two pairs of thick rubber gloves, one above the other, and it was still not enough for Jihyo to not feel dirty and contaminated as soon as she grabbed the first bit of flesh from the ground.

A good amount of the bodies on the floor were torn to pieces, so it was fairly easy for the two girls to pick them up, a little at a time, and carry them to the window. They watched as a handful of zombies limped curiously towards the first slabs of meat that splattered on the pavement, attracted by both the noise and the smell of rotting flesh.

“It looks like we're feeding ducks in a pond” Momo commented, and Jihyo couldn't help but snort at the uncanny resemblance.

“These are some ugly fucking ducks, though.”

\----------

Back in the silence and comfort of the small practice room, Chaeyoung woke up.

She blinked a few times, eyes hazy, instinctively searching for Mina in the warmly-lit ambiance. Her gaze found the Japanese girl, curled up next to her futon, sound asleep with an open book in hand. Chaeyoung let out a quiet chuckle, observing Mina's sleeping features.

With a soft groan, the younger girl stretched her arms, getting up from the floor to look out the window. Seoul was infused with a bright, crisp light, and the sky was completely clear. It was calm, a bit cold perhaps, but in a pleasant way.

With a shiver she turned to Mina, grabbing the comforter that was left on the futon. Carefully, as to not wake her up, Chaeyoung draped it around the Japanese's shoulders, making sure to cover her as much as possible. Just as she was pulling away, Mina opened her eyes.

“Hey.” she mumbled, smiling softly.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up unnie.” Chaeyoung whispered. “Come sleep on the futon, it's much more comfortable than the wall, I promise.”

Mina giggled, and meekly followed the younger girl as she lead her to lie down under the covers. In a matter of seconds, she was sound asleep yet again.

Chaeyoung sat next to her for a few minutes, wordlessly looking at her shoulders rhythmically rising and lowering with each breath. Before she could even realize what she was doing, she leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, feeling a comforting warmth spread within her chest.

Mina was doing so much better, and Chaeyoung could not be happier to see it.

She stretched once again, and treaded to the restroom to wash up. Her head was a lot clearer than the day before, and her limbs much more willing to obey her commands, which was definitely a good sign. She put on some clean clothes, and headed to the recording studio to greet whoever was awake.

As soon as she got in, Tzuyu was right next to her, feeling her forehead and patting her up and down, like she could feel how much energy she had in her body just by touching it. Chaeyoung let her be, and bumped her fist on Dahyun's with a grin. “How are you doing bro?”

Sana was next in line, squeezing her in a tight hug, giggling like a child. “Our Chaeyoungie is feeling better!”

The four girls strolled to the kitchen, fetching themselves some breakfast, while discussing what Jihyo and Momo were up to on the fourth floor, as well as Dahyun's pigeon breeding plans and Jisung's much anticipated arrival. As they all sat in the recording studio, digging into their plates, Jeongyeon peeked through the open door, rubbing her nose with the palm of her hand. Nayeon trailed behind her, wrapped in a blanket, dishevelled hair sticking out in all directions.

“Are Momo and Jihyo already gone?” the latter asked, as the girls moved back to make some space for them on the floor. But in place of an answer, a dull thumping sound came from the window.

As soon as Nayeon looked up, all the colour drained from her face.

\----------

“ _WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO DOING?_ ” Momo moved the walkie talkie away from her ear, startled by the high-pitched scream, trying her best to hold back her giggles.

“Huh..” she started, but was interrupted by Jihyo's loud cursing, as she passed by her and disappeared through a small door on the left side of the hallway.

“ _Why is there a goddamn corpse splattered on our window Momo?_ ” the Japanese girl covered the mic with her hand, slowly bending in half from the effort not to laugh. “ _For fuck's sake Momo, answer me!_ ”

“We-” she tried, before finally bursting into a fit of laughter at the sight of Jihyo marching towards her with a broomstick in hand, looking absolutely enraged.

“ _MOMO I SWEAR TO GOD!_ ”

Jihyo snatched the device from Momo's hand, who immediately collapsed on the floor wheezing, and pushed the button on the side.

“It's not our fault, the damn thing got stuck on the cornice! We're working on it!”

She then tossed the walkie talkie on the side, leaning out of the window to take a better look at the offending zombie. She stuck her arm out, wiggling the broomstick to try and move the body, but it didn't budge. Momo popped up from where she was lying, teary-eyed, only to witness Jihyo slamming the stick repeatedly on the corpse, effectively beating the shit out of the poor thing like you would with a dirty rug.

“ _Stop, stop, what the fuck are you doing now!_ ” Nayeon cried out from the device, forgotten on the floor. “ _It's spraying blood all over the window! Ewww!_ ”

Momo quickly got ahold of the walkie talkie, stifling a second wave of giggles the best she could, while also thoroughly enjoying the show that Jihyo was providing her.

“It's okay unnie, we'll get it out of the way in a second.” she managed, before being deafened once again by Nayeon's ear-piercing screams.

A few more beatings later, there was a muffled 'thud' as the body finally hit the pavement below. Jihyo retracted from the window, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her elbow, and dropped the bloodied broomstick on the ground. Momo went up to her, offering a wet wipe and a bottle of water, that were gladly accepted. The two girls scanned the office space, where a handful of decomposing zombies remained, cold and unbothered on the floor.

Jihyo took a sip of her water bottle, before turning to Momo with a sigh.

“Let's call it a day, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting rid of a dead body is not as easy as it sounds, really.
> 
> Coming next: "You and your damn pink sweater!"


	18. March 4, 2020 - day 17 (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, it's been a minute since my last update!  
> Between the holidays and my school, I was really really busy. Sorry for making you wait for so long!  
> Back to regular uploads now, every other week, on fridays as usual ^^  
> Thanks for being patient, and I hope you all had a good start of the year <3

It's not like the new beds weren't comfortable enough, or the rooms too cold. And yet the morning sun caught all nine girls already fully awake, away from the warmth and comfort of their sleeping arrangements, and into the wide recording studio, in a circle on the floor. Somewhat in the middle of it, Jihyo was holding the walkie-talkie with both hands. A sudden beeping noise cut sharply through the room, making a few of the girls jolt.

“ _Sunbaenim? Over._ ”

“Jisung-ah, you know you can call me noona. I told you ten times already. Over.”

“ _Yeah, right. Sorry, Jihyo noona. Well... We're leaving now. Over._ ”

The girls all exchanged glances, while Jihyo quietly nodded to herself.

“We wish you guys good luck, and a safe journey here. If anything happens, call us. Over.”

“ _I know, yes. Thank you._ ” Jisung paused for a few seconds, his hesitation giving away just how nervous and scared he truly was. “ _Over and out._ ”

Jihyo looked up at the rest of the girls, and everyone let out a small sigh. Hopefully it would all go well.

\----------

The warm afternoon light shone through the studio door, left ajar, casting a deep purple shadow across the hallway. A girl moved quietly across the four walls, careful not to make any noise.

“Where do you think you're going?”

Chaeyoung sheepishly turned around, to find Nayeon glaring at her from the corridor. Her hand was inches away from the gym's entrance, but she reluctantly lowered it.

“Just a few reps...” Chaeyoung whined, before huffing and ultimately submitting to Nayeon's stern look. She dragged her feet back to her room with a pout, while the older girl took her time watching her.

“ _Mina-yah, keep the baby in bed!_ ” she yelled, right before Chaeyoung shut the door, rolling her eyes.

“I'm not a damn baby...” she mumbled, sitting on the futon next to Mina. She fished a couple of pens and a notebook from under the keyboard, busying herself with some mindless doodling, as the Japanese girl simply watched her with a smile.

As much as Chaeyoung was feeling better, and had quickly recovered from her flu, neither Nayeon nor Mina were willing to let her do much by herself; when even just washing the dishes was deemed too straining of an activity by the two older girls, working out was simply unacceptable.

“You look a lot like a baby right now, though.” Mina chuckled, hinting at Chaeyoung's pout, while the latter sulked even more. Her tone became serious. “We're just worried about you, Chaeyoungie. You... really scared us.”

The younger girl fumbled with her pencil, noticing how Mina's smile was now laced with sadness.

“I'm sorry.” she said softly, not exactly sure herself what she was apologizing for.

“It's not your fault Chaeyoung-ah, it's nobody's fault. Just-” Mina hesitated, lowering her gaze “For a moment, I thought I'd lost you.”

Chaeyoung's eyes widened at Mina's words, and she suddenly felt even worse. Yes, she was aware that the members were concerned about her turning into a zombie, before realizing it was nothing but a common flu; but it never occurred to her just _how_ worried and scared they all had been. Mina included.

“You'll never lose me.” The words escaped Chaeyoung's mouth before she could even realize what she was saying. “I'm not leaving you. Not a chance.”

Mina blinked a couple times, taken aback by just how earnestly and matter-of-factly the younger girl had spoken. A thousand thoughts swarmed her mind, while she fought back the urge to say something she would instantly regret.

“I'm not leaving you either.” Was all she could muster, grasping the hem of her sweatshirt tight.

If Chaeyoung noticed her sudden discomfort, she didn't show it.

She wouldn't have had time anyway, as the door to her room slammed open a second later, sending a few stray papers flying around through the air. On the other side, a distressed Sana locked eyes with Mina, practically on the verge of tears.

“Jisung called” her voice was as shaky as her hands. “They're in serious trouble.”

\----------

“Okay, calm down, take deep breaths!” When Mina and Chaeyoung reached the recording studio, jogging behind Sana, Jeongyeon was in the middle of the room, walkie-talkie in hand. The rest of the girls were surrounding her, with the exception of Momo who arrived in a hurry just a few moments later.

“I understand, please talk one at a time Jisung-ah! I can't hear you very well!”

“ _I- Noona-_ ” the sound came distorted and metallic from the device, though the boy's panic was clear as day. Chaeyoung felt Mina shiver beside her, and instinctively reached down to grab her hand.

“ _We're locked in b-but they're pounding on the door, fuck._ ” he was now crying, his stifled sobs evident behind each word. “ _We can't get out, we're screwed!_ ”

“Jisung-ah, you have to tell me where exactly you guys are.” Jeongyeon was trying her best to get a coherent sentence out of the boy, while keeping as calm as possible herself. Jihyo had her arms wrapped tightly around Sana, but stumbled closer to the older girl to get ahold of the device.

“ _It's- I'm not sure-_ ”

“Jisung-ah, as long as there's a door between you and those creatures, you're safe. You hear me? But we can't help you in any way if you don't tell us where the hell you guys are.”

Her tone came out a little more stern that she intended to, but it seemed to shake Jisung just enough to get him to think more clearly.

“ _We... Shit, we were just outside the apartment, but the zombies were everywhere! So many of them, I- We weren't ready._ ”

“ _We ran, I-I don't know where we ended up noona, I swear we just fucking darted across the road, we needed to hide, the first door we saw that's where we went!_ ”

Jihyo felt Sana starting to quietly sob in the crook of her neck, and raised her free hand to gently stroke her hair. She made an effort to keep her composure.

“What kind of space are you in? Describe it to me.”

“ _It's like, huh... There's boxes and shelves around, mostly clean. It looks like some sort of storage room. The door is made of steel I think, we dragged some of the boxes in front of it... And there's a small window far up the wall, really really tiny._ ”

“Okay, can you open one of those boxes and see what's inside? Food, utensils, clothes?”

In the meantime, the rest of the members were animatedly discussing what to do, with Dahyun and Tzuyu fetching pen and paper to sketch out a map of the neighbourhood.

Some loud static noises came from the walkie-talkie, before Jisung's voice took their place once again. “ _There's food, noona. Flour, sugar... Also some plastic bags, cutlery._ ”

“It must be a café of some sort, maybe a bakery.” Nayeon reasoned, while the girls argued about in which street exactly they should be looking for it.

“He said they crossed the road across the apartment complex, right? So it's either two blocks away from that convenience store full of zombies, or on the opposite side.” Everybody went quiet, turning to look at Chaeyoung. Jeongyeon perked up, a look of realization painted on her face.

“Wait, what?” Nayeon's eyes went from one girl to the other, in confusion.

“Assuming that Jisung is the guy that gave us directions... The one in the pink sweater...” Jeongyeon frowned, thinking about the dull grey building her and Chaeyoung saw those guys in.

“We never asked him, _goddammit_!” She suddenly jerked up and snatched the walkie-talkie away from Jihyo's hand, but before she could speak, a loud 'crack' echoed through the room.

Then it was dead silent.

Jeongyeon pressed the call button on the side of the device, but nothing happened. Nobody was at the receiving end anymore.

“What... happened?” Mina whispered, feeling tears starting to well up at the corner of her eyes.

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung glanced poignantly at each other, before the latter spoke.

“We know where they are. We've seen the building they were staying in, we couldn't point it out on a map but if we see it, we will recognize it. From there it's just a matter of crossing the road and looking for a café.”

Nayeon and Jihyo both spoke up at the same time, the older girl being way louder.

“No way you're going anywhere, Chaeyoung-ah! You've barely recovered from being bed ridden for three days straight!”

“You're right Nay, she's not going.” Jeongyeon stepped up, taking a deep breath.

“ _I_ am.”

\----------

It wasn't a pretty sight, Nayeon with her eyes swollen and rimmed red, cheeks puffy, looking utterly defeated. Sana wasn't a pretty sight either, trembling and sobbing on Tzuyu's shoulder, absolutely terrified.

A huge fight had taken place in the recording studio, probably the biggest and loudest the girls had ever experienced. It wouldn't be far fetched to say that Nayeon and Jeongyeon were on the brink of breaking up, at that point. The latter never relented, remaining stone-faced despite her girlfriend's screams and pleads, reiterating that she was the only one besides Chaeyoung that could recognize the building, and thus, she had to go. There was nothing Nayeon could do to change her mind, and it was something she wasn't used to.

Momo, Jihyo and Jeongyeon were standing in front of the emergency exit, fully dressed and armed. Jihyo seemed to hesitate for a second, quickly glancing at Sana, but eventually cleared her throat.

“Okay, listen. We're leaving the walkie-talkie here, so we can contact you as soon as we find the boys.” Mina nodded, holding the device tight.

“Whatever happens, don't call us. We'll keep the other walkie-talkie turned off while we're coming back, but just in case. We don't want to become an easy target to zombies.”

“Are you sure the three of you should go together unnie?” Dahyun tried, for the third time that evening. “The more you are, the more you risk being noticed.”

“Dahyun-ah, if it comes down to a fight we'll need all the help we can get against a whole mob of creatures. We don't have a choice this time.”

Momo noticed the clock on the wall, and tapped the girl's shoulder. “We gotta go.”

“It's so late...” Tzuyu said softly, rubbing Sana's back. “You'll be out way after the sun is set.”

Jeongyeon nodded, once again speaking matter-of-factly. “You heard what happened earlier, Tzuyu-yah. The boys might be already dead, for what we know.” she turned to the fire-break door, resting her hand on the handle.

“If we don't get to them now, there might be nobody left to find.”

\----------

Three people were a lot trickier to move around than two, the girls quickly realized. Most hiding spots, be it cars, trees, fences or utility poles, were not nearly as safe and effective with a third person trailing behind.

Jihyo observed as the sun slowly but inexorably disappeared behind a building, leaving the sky to be illuminated by only the faint indigo and purple hues of twilight. None of them had ever been out after dusk, and the thought of encountering a horde of zombies in complete darkness sent a shiver down her spine. Jeongyeon seemed to share the same uneasiness, her eyes constantly darting left and right, her hands gripped painfully tight around the baseball bat. Momo looked fairly calm, though the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead hinted otherwise.

Despite the slow pace, the girls managed to arrive a few feet away from the small convenience store, which, as Jeongyeon had expected, was still being swarmed by zombies.

“ _Fucking hell_.” Jihyo muttered under her breath, being for the first time face to face with such a mob of creatures.

“I know.”

Jeongyeon scanned the neighbourhood they were in, mentally cursing at how difficult it was to spot the right building in the dim evening light. Eventually her eyes landed on a small concrete apartment block, dotted with broken windows and rows of balconies.

“There it is!” she whispered, gesturing at the other girls to follow her.

It wasn't as close as Jeongyeon remembered, though the journey proceeded smoothly enough. The girls almost ran into a small parade of zombies, right around a corner, but they managed to hide under a parked van just in time. When they finally arrived in front of the building, it was almost completely dark.

“There must be a café somewhere around here.” Momo muttered, with a hint of nervousness in her voice. With no street lights, it was extremely hard to make out what kind of shops were on the other side of the road, and as time went by, it would keep getting worse.

The girls craned their necks, straining to see as far as possible without moving from their hiding spot, and Jeongyeon silently prayed for Chaeyoung's intuition to be right. If Jisung and the other two boys had nothing to do with the three guys from the window... _Well_.

Luckily it didn't take long for Momo to notice something, even though she actually didn't _see_ anything. She _heard_ it. The sound was faint, and coming in waves -carried by the evening breeze that was just picking up-, but it was unmistakable: zombies, and many of them.

She raised her hand, signalling the two girls to be quiet. It was hard to tell which direction it was coming from, and this time it was Jihyo who pointed towards a building on the left, no trace of hesitation in her eyes.

Without a word, the three girls slowly crossed the road. As soon as they reached the end of the street, it was apparent they had come to the right place. The noises were getting progressively louder, not to mention, absolutely blood-curdling. It sounded like a horde of wild animals had cornered an unlucky prey and was now feasting on its still writhing body. The wet, ripping and slamming sounds were so intense the girls wondered how they weren't able to hear them right from outside JYP's.

They glanced at each other, all thinking the same thing.

“Are we hearing... what I think we're hearing?”

“Don't say it.” Jihyo hastily replied, clenching her jaw. Momo didn't ask further.

The source of the noise was only a few yards away, hidden by the pitch black air that was now engulfing the entire city. The sky was clear, though the moon was barely visible; the pale glow coming from the stars was just enough to prevent the girls from tripping on their own feet. To actually see what was happening, they would have to get much closer.

“ _Fuck_.” Jeongyeon sighed.

“You and your damn pink sweater. Let's go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeongyeon better make it home safe and sound, or else...
> 
> Coming next: this corpse-yeeting thing is geting out of hand.


	19. March 4, 2020 - day 17 (part 2)

Getting closer and closer to the source of the dreadful noises, Jeongyeon's heart seemed to beat just as loud, deafening her. She stopped right in her tracks for a moment, trying to still her trembling hands. It was like she could already see them, rotten, limping, covered in blood. Surrounding her, grabbing her baseball bat, throwing her on the ground, tearing her to pieces.

Momo's hand brought her back to the dark streets of Seoul, firmly grasping her shoulder. Jeongyeon blinked in confusion, only then realizing how copiously she was sweating.

“Yah, are you alright Jeongie?” Jihyo asked, visibly worried. Momo shook her head, patting the older girl's arm in a somewhat reassuring manner.

“I... Yeah.” Jeongyeon swallowed, though her mouth was completely dry. “I spaced out for a second. I'm okay.”

Ever since what happened on the fourth floor of the JYP building, Jeongyeon's mind was never quite at peace again. The zombies were there, maybe tucked away in a corner, but still _there_ , haunting her, following her every movement, making it impossible to sleep for more than a few hours at a time.

It was easy enough to ignore them when she was in the warm and lit recording studio, surrounded by the members, huddled up next to her girlfriend; but when the sun went down, and everyone was asleep, the silence and darkness would become unbearable. Just like that, out there in the pitch black alleyway, there was nothing between her and those disgusting walking nightmares.

Jeongyeon let out a shaky breath, regaining her composure. It was too early for her to be face to face with death again, but she didn't have a choice. She needed to snap out of it, and quickly.

“I'm fine, really. Listen.” she cleared her throat, and even though neither Momo nor Jihyo believed her, they didn't question further, simply glancing at each other with a knowing look.

“According to what Jisung said, there's probably a mob of pissed off zombies trying to break down a door right now. Coming at them from down here, there wouldn't be much we could do, and we would most likely end up having the whole horde chasing us.”

“I get what you're saying” Jihyo carried on, crossing her arms. “It would be safer to have the higher ground. Climb on a building, and have a look from there first to see what exactly we're up against.”

Jeongyeon nodded, wiping her forehead with her elbow.

“It sounds like they're really close. Probably right around the corner. I reckon if we get on the rooftop of this apartment right here,” she pointed at the building they were standing next to, “we'll be able to see what's happening pretty clearly.”

Momo and Jihyo briefly nodded, and the three girls got moving. They spotted the fire escape only a few feet away from where they were, and started to carefully climb the metal ladders, while making sure that nothing had been following them. Once they reached the top, they found that there was no flat surface to walk on, as the roof was slanted and covered in shingles.

Still, judging by the increasingly loud noises, they were almost perfectly above the source of the sounds. Not wanting to back off, the girls proceeded to slowly crawl on all fours on the roof, halting every time their weight caused the shingles to creak and settle beneath them. Quickly enough they made it to the cornice, and tentatively peeked below.

Just like that, the situation finally made sense.

\----------

The mob of zombies was just as blood-curdling as the girls expected, and the way they were slaughtering their unlucky victims, frantically and voraciously, turned it into an even more unnerving sight.

Despite that, Jeongyeon was grinning. And soon enough, Jihyo and Momo were too.

The steel door that was on the side of the building right across the road, covered in rust and blood, was firmly shut. And the two people currently being ripped to shreds -judging by what was left of them, at least- were women.

“ _That's why!_ ” Jihyo whispered, somewhat relieved. “The damn things were after those two women, not the boys! Jisung's group must have found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, crossing paths with a mob that was already chasing someone else.”

“Yeah, and that's also why they were taken by surprise.” Jeongyeon continued, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. “Imagine being out in the street and suddenly a whole horde of crazed zombies pops up from nowhere... Fucking bad luck. Had they left the apartment just a few minutes later, they would be safe and sound at JYP's by now.”

“Still...” Momo grimaced, observing how viciously the creatures were slamming themselves against the metal door “this doesn't change the fact that the zombies are after them too, now.”

The girls took a few minutes to think about what to do. As much as Jisung and the other two boys were alive and well, judging by how much the door was bending and shaking on its hinges, it wouldn't be long before the creatures completely tore it down.

“We need a distraction.” Jeongyeon muttered, her mind racing to find a solution.

Jihyo and Momo raised their head at the same time, no words exchanged. A quick nod was enough to confirm they were, indeed, thinking the same thing.

“There is one thing we can do.” Jihyo nudged Jeongyeon, gesturing towards the end of the road. The night sky was barely clear enough for the girl to spot a dark lump on the pavement, that looked like someone had left a pile of rugs folded on itself.

“A dead body?” Jeongyeon turned to Jihyo, who was sporting a wide grin.

“Remember yesterday Jeongyeon-ah? When Momo and I went upstairs to clear the fourth floor? Well.” she crossed her arms, looking down at the heaving crowd of creatures. “We found, throwing a corpse out the window and onto the street is a pretty effective way to get a zombie's attention.”

The older girl contemplated the idea, considering that, in fact, there surely was no shortage of dead bodies around the block.

“Okay.” she nodded, frowning. They didn't have time to hesitate, anyway. “How are we gonna do that?”

“There's three of us. We could get a body each, climb on three different buildings and drop the corpses one at a time, from closest to farthest, luring the zombies away from the boys.”

“We need at least two people to move a dead body, let alone carrying it all the way up a rooftop. How long would this take us, Jihyo-yah?”

The younger girl thought about it, realizing just how time-consuming the whole process would be. “At least an hour and a half, to set everything up.”

Yeah, way too much. Jisung and the boys would be dead long before the first body hit the ground.

“I can run pretty fast.” Momo tried, but was immediately shut down by Jihyo. “No Momo, we're not using you as bait. I would like to get back to JYP's with the three of us still in one piece, if you don't mind.”

“ _What are we going to do then?_ ” Jeongyeon snapped, feeling her frustration build up inside her chest. They had come all the way there, and even actually _found_ the boys, and all for what? Stay still doing nothing while the zombies eat them alive?

Before Jihyo or Momo could reply, her eyes widened. “Wait.”

She stood up on the roof, looking towards the end of the street, and then back at the two younger girls. “It's risky, but... I think I know what to do.”

\----------

“ _Fuck this._ ” Nayeon was as tense as the members had ever seen her, despite her lack of movement. She was sitting in a corner, knees up against her chest, white knuckles and red eyes, incessantly muttering by herself. Mina and Chaeyoung were by her side, doing their best to console her, though without much luck. Eventually they settled for simply keeping her company, while also comforting each other with warm hugs and reassuring words.

Sana was huddled up next to Tzuyu, who after a lot of back and forth was able to somewhat calm her down. The older girl was currently asleep on her shoulder, exhausted after crying for so long, while Tzuyu ran her fingers lazily through her hair, keeping her settled.

Dahyun stole a quick glance from her spot in front of the window, imperceptibly wincing at how peaceful and content Sana looked next to the Taiwanese girl. She had tried to ease her worries and cheer her up, when the three girls had left, but miserably failed; it was only thanks to Tzuyu that Sana was finally able to calm down and stop the tears from flooding her cheeks and neck.

Something about that made Dahyun painfully sad.

Still, she shook her head and turned her gaze at the streets of Seoul, letting the faint light coming from the sky guide her eyes towards any movement that could announce the members' return.

\----------

When Jeongyeon said it was risky, she wasn't lying. However, it was their only hope to actually get the boys to JYP's alive, so they all agreed to give it a try.

It wasn't that complicated really, though the lack of time and the lives at stake surely weren't helping. Momo felt herself shiver, while she stood crouched down on the lowest step of the fire escape, waiting for Jeongyeon's green light.

The plan was a combination of both Jihyo and Momo's ideas, with some much needed adjustments. Three bodies were too many to move around, but one was manageable; Jihyo and Jeongyeon took care of carrying it all the way up the rooftop of a fairly small building, with Momo following them around being on the lookout for zombies.

The building itself was located at the far end of the street, right at the intersection with a bigger, wider road; way too far to be noticed by the enraged creatures, giving the girls a fair amount of freedom of movement. Getting the zombies' attention, that would be Momo's job.

Jeongyeon wasn't having it at first, insisting on putting herself in the forefront, but eventually relented. Momo was fast and by far the fittest among the members, so there she was, a perfect bait for the blood-thirsty mob of creatures.

As Jeongyeon and Momo were ready to carry out their plan, one on the roof -currently busy manhandling a dead body-, one a few feet down on the fire escape on the side of the building, Jihyo was back all the way to the other end of the street, silently observing the carnage unfold below her. As soon as the way would be clear, she would be the one running down to get the boys away from the storage room.

She perked up, waving her arm towards Jeongyeon. Despite the distance, she could make out the older girl's silhouette, leaning against the concrete edge of the rooftop. Jeongyeon checked around the corner, and threw a couple stones just to be sure. Nothing was in sight.

She used her baseball bat to reach the edge of the fire escape, tapping on it twice. She kept the bat on the metal railing, feeling it vibrate in return. Momo was ready to go.

It happened almost in slow motion, the way Momo stood up and sprinted down the road, silent and fast like a feline. She felt the cold and crisp air of the night brush against her cheeks, and ruffle her hair. For a brief moment, it was almost as if _she_ was the hunter, and not the prey.

As soon as she approached the mob of zombies however, that feeling completely dissipated as quickly as it had come. As their eyes darted towards her, sunken and dark, Momo felt a surge of adrenaline like no other in her life. She let out a guttural scream, making sure to be as loud as possible, fishing out a handful of stones from her pockets, ready to use them. It wasn't necessary, though. They had seen her, and heard her, loud and clear.

Momo dropped the stones almost immediately, her eyes registering the first creature dashing at her, and the others soon to follow. She turned around and ran, the fastest she had ever run in her life, without looking back.

\----------

Everything around her was pitch black, blurry, and muffled.

She barely recognized Jeongyeon's voice, yelling something about stairs, and that's when she realized she'd already passed the building, and was running in the middle of the intersection.

“MOMO, THIS WAY!” the older girl's voice thundered from above, and Momo stopped right in her tracks, scraping the bottom of her shoes on the road.

“Fuck, _fuck!_ ” she turned and raced towards Jeongyeon, watching as the latter dropped the dead body from the rooftop. It landed perfectly in front of the horde of zombies that was chasing Momo, with only one issue: she was supposed to turn the corner and climb the fire escape, hidden from the creatures' sight, while the corpse acted as a diversion. But there she was, in the middle of the road, perfectly visible and unmistakeable, running and cursing.

“FASTER!” Jeongyeon scrambled to get down the metal staircase, baseball bat in hand, pale as a ghost. Momo just about reached the base of the building, when a black arm clawed at her neck. Not more than half a second later, a gust of wind blew right above her head, and the arm was gone.

Jeongyeon grabbed her coat and all but slammed her against the wall, while the horde of zombies finally caught up with them. She swung the bat as hard as she could towards anything and everything that moved, taking advantage of her higher ground, shielding Momo from the vicious creatures as the latter raced up the fire escape, hardly breathing, drawing her knives.

She stopped at the platform Jeongyeon was on, turning to see her wide-eyed and absolutely horrified, as the creatures started to climb up the metal ladders, growling and moaning.

“The fuckers can get up the stairs, MOVE!”

The girls retreated as fast as humanly possible, climbing the steps three at at time, gaining some lead on the zombies. As soon as they reached the top they collapsed on the ground, breathing shallowly, before somewhat regaining their composure and facing the edge of the stairwell, armed and ready to fight.

From below, dark and slender fingers crept up the concrete rooftop, sliding against the rough texture of the building.

Countless stars in the night sky above illuminated the dreadful beings that were writhing and contorting, in the effort to close the small gap that was separating them from their prey.

Jeongyeon and Momo stood still, panting and sweating, waiting for the right time to strike.

A muffled scream echoed through the neighbourhood, from the opposite end of the street.

It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeongyeon always ends up in the worst situations doesn't she. 
> 
> Coming next: Jihyo is not doing much better, really.
> 
> Also. Go and follow me on the bird app, I make fanarts and other stuff (ﾉ´ з `)ノ  
> @strawberry_tigr


	20. March 5, 2020 - day 18 (part 1)

Jihyo quietly waved her arms at Jeongyeon, observing the older girl as she reciprocated her signal. She stayed put, eyes fixed on the end of the street, waiting for Momo to show up.

Her shadow came first, silent and elegant, passing the buildings one by one. Jihyo held her breath as Momo finally approached the crowd of zombies, and couldn't help but flinch when the latter started screaming. That was her cue to get going.

She scrambled down the roof, hearing the first creatures racing after Momo, growling and moaning.

Then she froze, and her eyes grew wide.

She reached with her hand, but it was too late. She watched as one of the shingles she was crouching on slid lazily towards the cornice, before falling in the pitch black void down below. A little less than half a second passed, when everything was still.

The shingle exploded on the pavement, sending shards flying everywhere. Jihyo leaned over the rooftop and cursed through her teeth, locking eyes with the handful of zombies that had stayed behind, ignoring Momo in favour of their newly discovered prey.

She thought about it for a few seconds, but she simply didn't have time to retreat nor a second chance to waste. She drew her weapon -a huge serrated knife- and took a deep breath.

Then she jumped.

\----------

Four.

Jihyo spun around and planted her knife all the way through the zombie's neck, swiftly drawing it back and sending its head flying down on the pavement in a pool of blood.

Three.

The woman creature was fast, and its hands damn hard to get off Jihyo's leg, but she managed. With a brutal kick to the face and another to the ribs for good measure, the zombie was out cold.

Two.

The tall one was dangerously close to chocking her, grasping her neck tight as she used her knife to push its drooling mouth away from her face. The creature bit the air in rage, while the other one chewed on her arm, trying to get past the many layers of clothing she was wearing.

Two.

The zombie's grip around her throat was getting tighter, and the biting more aggressive. Jihyo breathed shallowly as her legs went numb, and her vision blurry.

Two.

She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

A loud noise echoed through the street, and Jihyo's neck was finally free. She collapsed on the ground, her legs not responding to her commands anymore, and gasped for air.

Her ears were ringing and her eyes wouldn't focus, but she gathered all her strength and lifted herself up, dazed and unsure of what was happening, looking for her knife.

A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders, and she immediately jerked back, punching the air in an attempt to fend off whatever creature was onto her.

“ _Noona, it's me, calm down!_ ” a faint voice made its way to Jihyo's ears, as she slowly got back to her senses -both literally and metaphorically-.

She blinked a few times, finally clearing out her vision. Standing in front of her, pale and scared, was Han Jisung. She took the hand he was offering her and shakily stood up, still feeling a bit faint. “You came here for us, noona? Are you hurt? Quick, we have to move.”

Jihyo's attempt to speak was completely futile, her throat dry and aching. She barely nodded, leaning into Jisung as he looped her arm around his shoulders and dragged her away.

\----------

When she woke up, she was lying on concrete, and her neck was stinging.

She didn't even realize she had passed out, and tried to remember what had happened. Jisung helped her walk away, there were other people following them. Then, she totally blacked out.

She coughed a couple of times, groaning in pain. Her throat was throbbing and hurting pretty badly.

Immediately she heard rustling, and a smiley face popped up in her field of vision.

“You're awake, noona. How are you feeling?” Jisung whispered, bringing a bottle of water to her lips. Jihyo lifted her head up and drank a little, grimacing at how raw and sensitive her skin felt even in contact with water.

“I've been better” she rasped, “but at least I'm not dead.”

With a deep breath she managed to sit up, and after a few seconds of dizziness she was able to take in her surroundings. She was on the rooftop of some building, presumably not too far from where she had been rescued, though she couldn't tell for sure. Everything around her was concrete, and a few satellite dishes were rising unbothered against the night sky. Sitting cross-legged behind two worn out backpacks, two boys were staring back at her with tired eyes.

“You must be... Felix? Am I correct?” Jihyo tried, fighting through a growing headache.

“Yes, ma'am.” the boy with ash-blonde hair replied, in a somewhat timid manner. He was pale as a ghost, and his eyelids low and red; it looked like he'd been crying for hours, which Jihyo considered, was most likely not that far from the truth.

“Seo Changbin.” the other boy said in a low voice, nodding towards Jihyo. He was even paler than Felix, if that was even possible, with dark circles around his eyes that matched his jet black hair.

“Thank you for coming here, noona” Jisung chimed in, kneeling next to the girl. “We... we would probably be dead by now if it weren't for you.”

Jihyo turned and took a better look at the boy, finding him just as dishevelled and pale as the other two. Even his smile was strained and tired, albeit genuine.

“I... What happened exactly?” she asked, still a bit disoriented. Jisung sat next to her, placing the bottle of water on the ground.

“Well, we were inside that storage room for hours, sure we'd be dead by dawn. Then we heard a scream, and the banging on the door completely stopped.” he took a deep breath, fidgeting with the bottle. “We weren't sure... Whether to open the door or not. But it was our only chance to maybe be able to escape the mob, so we took it. When we moved the boxes and had a first cautious look outside, we saw you.”

“There were only two zombies left, so... We rushed out and beat the shit out of them before they could strangle you.” Changbin continued, staring at nothing in particular. “Then we booked it.”

Jihyo nodded, bringing her hand to her neck. Judging by the sharp pain that immediately made her wince, it was badly bruised.

“Thank you, guys.”

Then she remembered.

“Wait. Fuck.” she tried to stand up, but her legs gave in and she almost fell face first into the ground. Jisung grabbed her underneath her arms and helped her up, frowning.

“What-”

“ _I'm not alone here._ ” Jihyo rasped, her voice now laced with panic. “Jeongyeon and Momo went out with me, it was only thanks to them that the zombies were gone!” she coughed, her throat pulsating and aching. The three boys looked at each other, and their suddenly alarmed expressions matched the one on Jihyo's face.

“We didn't see anyone else outside, the whole street was empty.” Felix stared at Jihyo with wide and glassy eyes, slightly shaking. He looked like he was about to burst into tears, though he pushed Changbin's attempt to comfort him away.

“They were supposed to lure the zombies away, Jeongyeon was at the end of the street right before the intersection.” The girl explained, hands on her forehead in despair. “They got almost the entire mob to run after them, I- _Fuck_ , I was supposed to get you guys and then go find them!”

From where she and the boys were, despite the height of the building, the intersection wasn't visible. Jihyo wasn't even sure which direction she should be looking at, still clueless about where exactly Jisung had carried her.

“We're not far from there noona, we only ran a few yards away to find a safe place.” he held her arms down, speaking gently but firmly. “I'll go and look for them, okay? You stay here, and don't freak out. They're probably just hiding somewhere.”

Changbin sighed, but nevertheless nodded. “I'll come with you, Jisung-ah. You...” he turned to glare at Felix, “You stay here.”

The boy grimaced but didn't protest, keeping his gaze low on his shoes.

Jihyo reluctantly sat down, well aware that her conditions made her nothing but a nuisance to the pair. She couldn't even stand up on her own, let alone walk or run. She had to wait.

“We'll be back in a few minutes, okay?” Jisung spared one last glance at the girl, doing his best to appear confident. “I have a flashlight with me. If- When we find Jeongyeon noona and Momo noona, I'll make sure to let you know about it. I'll climb up somewhere high and flash it a few times. Got it?”

Jihyo nodded, taking a deep breath. She watched as Changbin's figure disappeared down the fire escape, followed by Jisung's.

The night wasn't over yet.

\----------

How much time had passed?

Jeongyeon couldn't tell.

The light coming from the sky was getting fainter, giving in to the tar black emptiness of the night. Or maybe it was her vision becoming cloudy, she wasn't sure.

She was sitting against the cornice of the building, her back pressed into a metal railing. She wasn't asleep, but not quite awake either. Drops of blood slowly dripped down her face and neck, gathering in a puddle on the ground.

Where was Momo again? Was she alive?

Jeongyeon blinked, turning to look at the limp figure lying a few feet away from her. She wasn't moving.

Then she remembered. Jihyo was there too, wasn't she?

Had she already gone back home? Was she safe and sound at JYP's, with the rest of the members?

Jeongyeon felt wetness on her nose and lips. She tried to raise her hand to wipe it off, but her arm just didn't respond to her command.

She gave up.

\----------

It was getting pretty cold.

Momo was alive, though, judging by her muffled groans and sobs. That at least was a good thing.

The wind was picking up, and Jeongyeon shivered.

She really wanted to reach Momo, wrap her arms around her, and comfort her. Everything was fine. She didn't need to cry. They were okay.

Her body wasn't of the same opinion, though. So Jeongyeon stood still where she was, breathing in the crisp cold air of the night.

Then she heard a noise.

Another creature? No, they had killed them all. Scattered their corpses across the rooftop. It couldn't be.

“ _I think I saw something, this way._ ” It was barely a whisper, but Jeongyeon heard it clearly in the otherwise deafening silence.

_Oh_. They were people.

The metal railing she was leaning on started shaking, as the unidentified male voices made their way up the fire escape.

“Holy shit!” One of them muttered, right behind Jeongyeon's head.

There was some more shaking and rustling, before the three men finally reached the rooftop.

Someone grabbed Jeongyeon's chin, roughly lifting her face up to be level with theirs.

“This one's rather pretty, uh.” The man chuckled, as his companions roamed around the roof, observing the mass of zombies lying cold and motionless on the ground. “Too bad she's so ruined.”

He let go of Jeongyeon, focusing his attention to Momo. He tapped her side with the tip of his shoe, jerking back when she moaned in pain. “Yah, we got another one... What the hell happened up here?”

The other two men shrugged, busy inspecting the lifeless bodies for useful items. One proudly raised his left wrist, now sporting an expensive-looking watch. “I've always wanted one of these.” He gleefully whispered, getting back to searching.

Jeongyeon wasn't exactly concious, but she was awake enough to realize that those men were not there to help. When the guy that had grabbed her chin turned back to look at her, she felt a shiver run down her spine. This time, it wasn't because of the wind.

“What are we going to do with them?” He asked in a low voice.

“Bring 'em back to the apartment?” another one proposed.

“Fuck no, I'm not carrying these bitches all the way up there.”

“Then what?” The first guy asked again, never breaking eye contact with Jeongyeon. “I want her. She's my type.”

The other men laughed out loud, making a face. “Then you'll be the one bringing her home, Hyunwoo-ah. We don't want anything to do with this.”

After some back and forth, the guy nodded to himself. He grabbed Jeongyeon by the hips, and lifted her up with a grunt. The others helped him prop her up on his shoulders, then watched him struggle to stand up in amusement.

“The fuck are you laughing at, you dicks!” he snarled, and the guys sheepishly shut their mouths, stifling their giggles.

They got going, slowly descending the metal staircase all the way down to the road below. A lonely zombie was crawling a few feet away, and one of the guys dashed across the street to bash its head open with Jeongyeon's baseball bat.

“I like this one” he grinned, “it will last me for a while I think.”

Jeongyeon felt like crying.

\----------

It was even colder now, despite the body carrying her sweating profusely. The wind was getting stronger, and there was nothing shielding her from the harsh gusts that were sweeping the small group.

Jeongyeon wanted to scream and kick, she really did, but nothing was working as it should. Her limbs had a mind of their own, and all they cared to do was sleep. She was feeling sleepy too, her eyelids threatening to fall shut at any moment, but she desperately kept herself awake.

Momo was still on the roof, alone, broken. They needed to tun back and help her, it was so cold outside. She tried to speak, but only a muffled groan came out.

The three men continued their march unbothered.

Until suddenly, they came to a stop.

“People.” one of them muttered, drawing a knife from his belt.

Jeongyeon felt her body weight shift, and a few seconds later she was lying on the pavement, a sharp pain in her right arm where she had fallen. Hyunwoo had unceremoniously dropped her on the ground, to reach for his weapons. In his left hand he held a pipe wrench, while in his right, a hammer.

“Keep walking.” she heard him say, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“We will, if you leave the girl to us.” a familiar voice replied, hardly holding back a growl.

Jeongyeon tried to get her eyes to focus, dizzy and exhausted, to see what was going on. Three people were standing at the opposite end of the street, and from what she was able to make out, they were armed. The person in the middle was quite tiny, but that's where the enraged voice had come from.

When the figure spoke again, Jeongyeon felt a wave of relief wash over her, an indescribable warmness spreading within her chest.

“Chaeyoungie.” she mumbled, before finally passing out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's getting interesting out there.
> 
> Coming next: Chaeyoung is pissed off.
> 
> Also: Thank you so much for 400 kudos!!! 0.0 Holy shh  
> Writing this story is so much fun, and I'm glad I'm not the only one enjoying this ^^


	21. March 5, 2020 - Day 18 (part 2)

“Are you sure about this, Chaeng?”

Dahyun's eyes looked a little wider than usual, and her face paler. Chaeyoung glanced at her one last time, before standing up to check the boots' fit. She tapped the tips on the floor a couple of times, satisfied with the tightness.

“It's okay, unnie.”

Mina and Tzuyu were also by her side, silently watching her get ready. The Taiwanese girl slipped a hand around Mina's waist, giving it a light squeeze.

“It's been too long. Either they can't find the boys, or something went wrong.” Chaeyoung spoke calmly, focused on getting her outfit in order. Sana winced from the other side of the room, while Nayeon didn't even look up, still as a statue.

“Please, be careful.” Mina had cried a bit prior to that moment, already worried sick about one more member going out in the middle of the night; that member being Chaeyoung, of all people, only added to her rising anxiety.

“I will, unnie.” the younger girl took Mina's hands into her own, finding them slightly cold. “I'll just see what is going on, and help out if I can. If things get dangerous, I will come back here.”

She reached out to wipe a tear away from the girl's eyelashes, her finger barely ghosting Mina's skin.

"Okay?"

“Okay.”

Just like that, Chaeyoung was off into the night.

\----------

The wind was a lot stronger, not to mention colder, than the girl expected. It had been a while since Chaeyoung had last set foot outside of the company building, and truth be told, she wasn't completely over her flu.

She couldn't help it, though. It had already been five hours, way too long for a simple rescue, one that was supposed to take place only a few blocks away from JYP's, at that. She had to get out.

Chaeyoung shivered, marching against the merciless gusts of wind, grateful to be geared up in so many layers of clothing. At her side, two long knives were hanging from her belt.

Seoul's city centre had always been a great sight at night, so full of lights and movement, the smell of street food permeating the air. Nothing of that image was left, if not the memories of it in Chaeyoung's tired mind. She resolved to just appreciate the stillness and silence of the new Seoul, avoiding to bitterly reminisce of old times in such and unnecessary way.

She tried to find her way to the convenience store, struggling against the lack of lighting and the inclement weather. The pitch black darkness was making it hard to see even just a few yards ahead, and each turning corner was a gamble; the zombies were eerily quiet in their movements, Chaeyoung found, when nothing was agitating them. She came face to face with a couple of creatures during her journey, and managed to dodge a few more before finally reaching the familiar-looking mini-market.

Now, she had to locate the grey building dotted with balconies and broken windows, among all the others. Only problem was, Chaeyoung couldn't see anything at all. Right outside of the small area she was in, a seemingly endless black void was stretching out in all directions.

The girl shut her eyes for a moment, conjuring up the memories of that day with Jeongyeon. She pictured herself and the older girl, crouched behind a car, noticing someone waving from far away, turning to look at them.

She opened her eyes again, and sighed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to match up her memories with her current surroundings. There were no landmarks, no hints, nothing she could use to orient herself in the complete darkness. She would have to rely solely on her conviction that the building was somewhere _farther_ away from JYP's; that meant she had to walk following the same direction she was already facing, ad that's exactly what she did.

Whether that was the right way or not, she would soon find out.

\----------

How could it still be so cold, even inside the lobby of a high-end hotel?

Chaeyoung wondered that, resisting the urge to rub her hands together to produce some warmth. The creatures were still prowling around the hall, mere inches away from her; the only reason she wasn't currently fighting for her life was the wide reception desk, that was acting as the perfect hiding spot. She tried to slow down her breathing, inhaling and exhaling as quietly as possible, staying completely still as not to cause her clothes to ruffle.

She had been taken by surprise by an unannounced crowd of zombies a few minutes earlier, and had barely enough time to bolt towards the first place she could spot -aka, some fancy-looking hotel that had the front entrance's glass panels smashed open- and jump behind the front desk.

Her knives were there and ready, but Chaeyoung didn't feel like risking a whole mob chasing her while out there alone. Not to mention, she didn't have time to go around getting into fights.

She waited a few more minutes for the creatures to finally leave the building, and decided on a whim to climb up the fire escape to try and reach the roof. From there she might have a clearer view of where she was going, and maybe even spot Jeongyeon's rescue team, the girl considered.

The staircase was inside the building and not outside, unlike the many others she had climbed up to that point. Still, it seemed safe enough. It was so silent you could hear a pin drop, and as far as Chaeyoung was concerned, that was all she needed to keep going.

On her way up the many floors of the hotel, she picked up a polished-looking red axe, that had clearly been used and then abandoned on the marble steps. She didn't waste her time wondering when and why it was left there, finding the answer soon enough as she passed the fifth floor.

As she was getting closer, unmistakeable red and brown marks started to appear on the steps, turning progressively bigger as she approached the landing. Up there, the door to the hallway was smashed to pieces, plastic debris and wooden shards coating the ground like snow. A few dead bodies could be seen behind the threshold, but once again, Chaeyoung kept her eyes on the stairs and carried on.

The rooftop was high enough to give the girl a nice, almost 360 degrees view of Seoul's desolated streets. The wind was unbearably strong, coming in sharp gusts that threatened to swipe Chaeyoung off her feet more than once. The girl leaned on the axe, as she neared the edge of the roof and carefully peeked around.

Most of the city was dark and still, dead and abandoned. Being out there in the cold made the sight even bleaker if possible, nothing distracting or comforting Chaeyoung from the stark reality of a zombie-infested city. She shook her head, trying to find something that could signal the presence of humans.

Suddenly, a shadow caught her attention, darting just within her field of vision. The girl squinted, struggling to distinguish the movement she'd just seen from the many limping zombies that were casually strolling around.

The silhouette appeared again, clearer this time. There was no doubt to whom it belonged to: _people_ were around.

Chaeyoung wasted no time and animatedly flailed her arms, trying to get noticed. _Could it be Jihyo, Momo and Jeongyeon?_ She drew one of her knives, lifting it up above her head and twisting it, in an attempt to catch the ever so faint light coming from the sky.

It must have worked somehow, because the unidentified figures slowed their steps and eventually came to a stop. They didn't really move however, nor did they seem to acknowledge her presence; it looked as if they were unsure about what to do.

They had a point, though. The girl was way too far, and it was way too dark to actually make out any recognizable features; she couldn't blame them for being cautious.

That's when a thought crossed Chaeyoung's mind.

She considered the idea for a second, then simply went for it. She had nothing to lose, anyway.

She tossed her knife to the side, started rhythmically swaying her hips, and brought her right hand up next to her cheek, performing a brief rendition of Fancy's point dance move, making sure to accentuate each movement as much as possible.

The reaction was immediate. The people jumped around, evidently excited, then waved frantically, gesturing for her to come down.

“ _Knew it._ ” Chaeyoung grinned, before grabbing her weapons and racing to the staircase.

“Found the fanboys!”

\----------

“Get away from her, and we'll let you go.” Chaeyoung spoke in a low voice, feeling her heart pound into her ears. She couldn't recall the last time she'd felt so enraged at someone, so much so that her hands were shaking.

It had been barely ten minutes since she'd joined Jisung and Changbin, feeling her heart sink at the news of the missing members; a little less than one minute since she'd spotted the small group of people slithering across the street, dragging along a familiar-looking body. Now there she was, hardly containing the impulse to just drive her weapon into those men's skulls and get her unnie safe and sound into her arms.

The bloke that had been carrying Jeongyeon on his back hesitated for a second, glancing at the long, red axe the girl was holding.

“We're bringing her home, she's injured.” a different guy tried, playing innocent. The third man chuckled by himself. “Who even are you?”

Changbin stepped up from where he was standing, brandishing a big butcher knife. His eyes were as dark as his hair, glancing menacingly at the three figures in front of him.

“If we have to stab you in the face to get her, just say so. We'll gladly do it.”

Jisung raised his chin in approval, trying his best to conceal his nervousness. He grasped his baseball bat tightly, observing the guys' every move.

The man with the pipe wrench in hand huffed, smiling crookedly.

“Come on now, why do you even care?” he shrugged. “She's gonna be dead by tomorrow, anyway.”

Chaeyoung clenched her jaw, suppressing the growl that was rising from deep down her throat. A confrontation was not what they wanted, and she was well aware of that, despite her anger threatening to swallow her thoughts completely.

She took a deep breath. Then smiled politely.

“I care because she's my unnie. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her, including smashing your head open with this axe right here and now.” her eyes darted from one man to the other, to finally land on the guy that had dropped Jeongyeon to the ground. “You are bigger than us, taller, and well armed. You would overpower us in a fight, that is obvious. But know this: no matter what happens to me, I will not stop.”

Changbin and Jisung glanced at each other, and took half a step back from the girl. The way she was so gently talking to those men was unnerving, so much so that they too subconsciously felt the need to distance themselves from her.

“I will not stop if you hit me, stab me, or rip my hands off. I will not stop going after you, until I'm physically unable to. And by that time, I can guarantee you at least one of you will be dead. Do _you_ care so much about her, to take the risk?”

A heavy silence fell on the empty street, the six silhouettes standing motionless in the dark. The three men seemed to ponder over her words, suddenly tense. If her dark and determined eyes were of any indication, she was dead serious; and there was no doubt her threatening words held some truth.

The man holding the pipe wrench grimaced, cursing between his teeth.

“Fine. We're done wasting time here.” he finally muttered, turning to gesture at his companions to get going.

Chaeyoung never took her eyes away from them, silently following each of their movements. Jisung and Changbin held their breath, as the guys passed next to Jeongyeon, completely ignoring her presence.

“ _Fucking bitch..._ ” were their last words, before disappearing in the pitch black alleyway.

Chaeyoung and the boys rushed to the girl's side, finding her cold and bloody, although alive. She was unconscious, but a few soft words from Jisung and Chaeyoung managed to momentarily pull her out of her slumber, eliciting a few relieved sighs.

“It's okay unnie, you're with us now.” Chaeyoung whispered, helping the boys as they lifted Jeongyeon's motionless body and carried it to safety.

\----------

A few blocks away, Jihyo was curled up next to the cornice of the rooftop, shivering each time the wind would pick up. Felix seemed distant, his eyes wandering the night sky without rest, never focusing on anything in particular.

When a flashing light suddenly appeared against the deep and heavy darkness around the building, Jihyo jerked up, unable to contain a whimper. “They found them!”

If she'd been able to, she would've jumped and screamed in relief. Instead, she settled for quietly crying happy tears right where she was, silently thanking whatever deity had allowed her members to be found safely.

If she'd known what had actually happened to them, perhaps she would've rather not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeongyeon is safe! Or is she?
> 
> Coming next: stars and memories.
> 
> Also: if you don't already follow me on twitter, I've recently made some fanart for this fic!  
> @strawberry_tigr   
> and thank you all so much for 10k hits!!! 🥳

**Author's Note:**

> Yo follow me on Twitter! I make fanart and stuff! @strawberry_tigr  
> If you like what I make and wanna leave me a tip, you can do it here on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/strawberry_tiger  
> See you with the next update (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧
> 
> -Rin


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